


The Elven Thief

by SirGhirahim



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Childhood Trauma, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, Torture, minor charater death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 15:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 86,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5095520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirGhirahim/pseuds/SirGhirahim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lindir is a thief, a very good thief. He has been stealing since he was a child. Of course he wasn't always like this Lindir use to be like any other elf child. He was happy, he was healthy, he had a family and he had dreams of performing for royalty. But one day his dreams were taken from him, now he is forced to live as a theif. Can Lord Elrond of Rivendell make him see that he is worth more than he thinks he is?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

In the woods there was a small Elven village. It was a nice quiet village and everyone knew each other. The elves there didn't need much. The land provided food and medicine for them. They didn't have much use for coin they mainly relied on trade with each other and their contact with people outside the village was no existent. They were sure that nobody knew about their home, until they came.

As orcs flooded the village the elves ran and screamed in terror. The guards did their best to protect to their families but they were cut down one by one. Without the defences the elves tried to flee as far away from the village as they could. Women grabbed their children and men stayed to fight even if they didn't know how.

Lindir was just twelve years old when his mother scooped him up in her arms and began to run from their home. He remembered his mother covering his eyes so he couldn't see the bodies of the fallen but he could still hear screaming and smell burning.

His mother made it out of the village and into the woods. She was being chased by three orcs who shot her with an arrow. The arrow pierced her leg and caused her to shriek but despite her injury she kept going.

Thankfully she was much faster than orcs and she knew these woods like the back of her hand. She found a small place to hide temporarily.

"Ma?" Lindir said scared

"Shhh Lindir" she told him. She assessed her injured leg and knew she was going to die. The arrow was poisoned, there was no way to heal it. She wanted to weep but not in front of her son she couldn't upset him further. She had to make the most of the time she had left.

"Lindir listen to me" she said. As her son looked at her with big teary eyes she told him "You must be brave for mommy right now, can you do that?"

Lindir nodded.

"Good boy. Lindir I want you to run and never come back"

"What! Why? I want to stay with you"

She could feel her heart break "Lindir you need to leave. I need you to run and don't look back"

"Why?"

"It's too dangerous to stay, you must go"

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"I wish I could but I fear my time is short. Lindir you need to leave so you can live. You must run"

"No!" Lindir protested and hugged his mother

She knew she wouldn't last must longer so she hugged and kissed him one last time and told him "Leave Lindir and don't come back, don't look back and don't stop running" she prised her son away from her and pointed in the direction she wanted to him run "Go Lindir"

"But ma..." he whimpered

"GO!" she said forcefully "Go, don't come back and never forget I love you baby"

With tears streaming down his face Lindir obeyed his mother. He let her go and started to walk away.

"Run Lindir!" she said one last time and he ran. The last thing she saw was Lindir running from her and she prayed for his safety.

Lindir did as his mother had told him. He ran and he didn't look back. He ran until it was dark, he found a hollow log to take shelter in. He was confused, alone and scared. How did orcs find their village? How many people have survived? Was he the last? So many questions ran through his mind and there was no one to answer them.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Lindir continued to run away as he was told. He knew how to survive off the land. He knew what was harmful, what was food and what plants would heal him. And most nights he still cried himself to sleep.

He survived in the forest for almost a year when he finally collapsed from exhaustion. Winter had set in and even though elves don't feel the cold like humans do but prolonged exposure to it can cause exhaustion in children.

Lindir didn't know how long he was passed out in the cold and the men who found him didn't know how long he had been there either.

He remembered the day he was found by a group of men. Thieves. At first they thought he was dead but when they saw he was breathing they took him to their hideout. They wondered what a Elven child was doing all alone.

He was asleep for four days and when he woke up he awoke to a human staring him the face. He jumped up and then feel over from dizziness.

"Easy lad" the human said

Lindir looked the human in confusion. He was an elderly man, with grey hair, a short beard and had an eye patch over his left eye.

"What's yer name?" he asked

Lindir remember his father telling him to never talk to strangers so he kept quiet.

"Not much of a talker ah?" the man smirked. He poured out a mug of something hot and put it near Lindir "Here this will warm ye up"

Lindir made no move towards the cup he kept a careful eye on the man.

"It's not poisoned lad, I'm not the type to hurt children" the man said

Lindir carefully moved towards the cup, he picked it up and sniffed it. He wasn't sure what it was but it smelt bitter. He sipped it and choked it tasted like a bitter root Lindir accidentally ate once.

"I did that my first I tasted it too, but it helps against the cold"

Lindir continued to sip at the drink until the man spoke again "So ye ready to tell me ye name?"

"Lindir" he spoke without thinking

"Lindir? Sounds alright. People call me Furrex"

Lindir had never heard a name like that before "What does it mean?"

"It means king thief" he replied "What does Lindir mean?"

"Song bird"

The man nodded his head and said "That's nice. So tell me why are you alone in the woods?"

Lindir wasn't sure he if should tell this man what had happened but he told him what he knew while keeping some details to himself "Orcs attacked my village. My mother ran away with me but then she told me to leave and never come back"

The man's face looked grim "What happened to ye mam?"

"She was hit with an orc arrow in the leg"

The man knew she was dead. Orcs liked to use poison on their arrows. The reason she had told her son to leave was to keep him safe no doubt "I know how you feel. Orcs killed my wife many years ago" he sympathised.

After a few minutes of awkward silence Lindir asked "Where are we?"

"We're in an underground hideout. It's the best place to hide from the cold"

"Who are you and why are you here?" Lindir asked

"I was a blacksmith until I got injured and could no longer work there. Without a job I had no money and without money I couldn't live"

"How did you live?"

"I became a thief"

"But stealing is wrong" Lindir told him

The man laughed slightly at the child's innocence "I know. But sometimes you have no other choice. I got caught many time and was imprisoned times until the town kicked me out for good" he was glad that Lindir was listening with interest "I travelled far and wide stealing where ever I went until one day something special happened"

"Something special?" Lindir's eyes lit up

"I caught sight of a group that looked nobles travelling on the roads and made plans to rob them. I followed them until they made camp and I used the cover of night to take their gold and jewellery and when morning came I was gone"

Lindir knew that you shouldn't steal but the man's story was very interesting "Then what happened?"

"Well I thought I gotten away with until I was shot with a dart that was laced with a sleeping drug. I slept for a few hours and when I awoke I was tied to a tree surrounded by the men who I'd robbed"

Lindir was shaking in his seat with anticipation.

"It turned out that the people I'd robbed weren't noble they were thieves like myself. They had dressed up in fancy clothing to sneak into a party and rob the host blind and they succeeded. The night I robbed them was the night they left the party, they didn't even have chance to count the coins" he laughed

"Did they hurt you?"

"No, but I thought they were going to. When they I saw I was awake one of them approached me and he said 'Do you know who I am?' and took one look at him and I said yes"

"Who was he?" Lindir asked

"His name was Furari Deus that means stealing king. He was the king of thieves. When I answered him he smiled and said 'You just robbed me' It was then that I realised I had robbed him, without knowing I had robbed the king of thieves. He bent down and drew his knife, I thought he was going to kill me. But instead he cut the ropes and said 'Welcome to the family"

"What did he mean?"

"Well all kings have subjects and the king of thieves had many. The people that were with him were his subjects. He led them, told them what to do, taught them the tricks of the trade and he call them his family. He welcomed me into his family because I impressed him"

Lindir was impressed by Furrex's story and wanted to know more "What happened after he took you in?"

"He taught me everything I know. I followed him, where ever he went I went. For thirty six years we travelled and we stole" The man's face seemed to fall, his smile disappeared and his eyes looked heavy.

Lindir noticed the man's expression and asked "What's wrong?"

"They were the good old days lad and well nothing ever lasts"

Lindir scrunched his eye brows in confusion "What happened?"

"The thing about humans is we grow old and die. And slowly it happened to Furari Deus. We noticed he couldn't run as fast or as far as he used to. His eye sight and his memory started to get worse. Then his left hand started to shake constantly and he had to stop thieving. When he stopped he named me the new king and let me lead the family. Two years later he died"

Lindir wiped tears from his eyes and sniffled.

"Don't cry lad. It was a long time ago"

"How long?"

"Almost twelve years now"

"I'm twelve years old" Lindir said

The man laughed slightly and said "What are the odds"

"Um, where are your people?" Lindir asked

"There out hunting at the moment. They should be back soon" he replied "So, do you have some where to go?" he asked

Lindir looked at the floor and said "No"

Furrex had seen this situation too many times in his life, it how most people ended up as thieves. Homeless, hungry and with nowhere else to go most were forced into this life. And now it looked like Furrex had a new member of the family to welcome "Don't worry lad ye welcome to stay here, if you want?"

Lindir looked at him in surprise and replied "But I'm not a thief"

"No ye not but you could be"

"I don't want to steal" Lindir protested

"Then how will you survive?" Furrex smirked

"I'll eat plants" Lindir huffed

Furrex would have laughed but he had to be serious right now "I guess you could but sooner or later you'll run into danger. The woods are packed with wild animals and orcs"

Lindir stiffened when Furrex mentioned orcs. He didn't want to see another orc for as long as he lived and that was saying something.

"Listen lad, you need to know how to survive and there is safety in numbers. If ye got nowhere else to go and no one to look after ye then ye not going to last much longer. Why don't ye stay with my family? We could show you a thing or two?"

"I don't know" *yawn*When Lindir yawned Furrex told him to get some rest. He nodded and snuggled down into a blanket and said "Night"

"Night lad" Furrex replied

An hour later Furrex's men returned. They had caught a few rabbits for dinner. Furrex told them about Lindir and his offer to let him stay with them. At first they were sceptical until one of them said how elves could walk around unnoticed. Eventually they agreed that having an elf for a thief would be a good idea.

A few hours later Lindir woke up when he heard talking and laughing. He sat up and saw more men.

"Have a nice nap lad?" Furrex asked

Lindir nodded and cautiously looked at the other men.

Furrex explained to Lindir that everyone was prepared to welcome him to the family if that's what he wanted. He said Lindir would have food and warmth. And when the time came he would be taught the tricks of the trade.

Lindir was hesitant at first but in the end he had to accept. The first thing Lindir learned was no one ever used their real name they all hand nicknames and they needed to pick on out for him. In the end they chose 'The kid' because, well he was just a kid. From then on he was mostly called the kid or lad. Also Lindir made an agreement to keep his elf nature a secret.

Four years went by quickly and Lindir was deemed ready by Furrex to go on his first robbery. Lindir set out with Furrex and Dextera Tua (Right hand) to help them rob a corrupt business man. His prices were outrageous and he robbed people blind. Dextera Tua said that they were teaching him a lesson in fair pricing.

The three of them were dressed in black cloaks with hoods and masks. They travelled to the man's shop at night when it was closed. And began their plan. Furrex pried open then window and Dextera Tua help Lindir through it.

Lindir's job was simple make his way through the shop unseen and open the door. He tip toed through the shop trying to be as quiet as possible and used the skills he had been taught. He found the key and unlocked the door.

"Good job lad" Furrex said. They took everything of value and made off into the night.

Back at their hideout everyone praised Lindir for a job well done and counted the coin. Lindir didn't feel right stealing but Furrex did have a point when it came to the shop owner. And Lindir felt that he did deserve it but he shouldn't feel like this, his parents had taught him better.

Two years later and Lindir was doing his first solo steal. His target was a wondering trades man who made poor crafted materials and sold them to venerable people. He had followed the man until night and waited for him to fall asleep.

Lindir snuck up to the cargo and only took the things of value that he could carry. Before he left he carefully removed a pouch from the sleeping mans belt and then fled. He was praised by the others for his stealth and cunning. Lindir felt proud that he had pulled off something by himself.

Six years later Lindir was running from two guards that and seen him pick pocketing. Thankfully his identity was safe thanks to his mask. He used his speed to out run the men and used his stealth to hide, he easily slipped away.

Ten years later the family of thieves found a new hideout. It was the same every few years they would pack up and find a new hideout so they wouldn't be caught. Furrex was telling Lindir about the towns they would be going to and their plans for the future. When it was time to rest Lindir helped Furrex up and brought him to the hideout.

By this time Lindir had become a professional thief and was proud that he had never been caught.

A month later Furrex gathered his men to make an announcement. Once they were all gathered he started his speech "Thank you all for coming I know some of you had plans tonight but this is important. I think it's time I face the fact that I'm getting old" there were a few disagreements but Furrex continued "It's time I was out of the game and appoint a new king. Dextera Tua will carry on in my place" they were claps of congratulations and just like that Furrex was no longer the king.

A year later and Furrex's health declined further. Another year went by and he became bed ridden. Lindir stayed by Furrex's side more often. He helped Furrex with daily tasks and kept him entertained with conversations and songs.

"You're a good lad Lindir" Furrex said

"And you need to sleep" Lindir replied

"Ba humbug" Furrex said grumpily

Lindir rolled his eyes at his actions and gave him some medicine "Here drink this. I add some sugar this time so it doesn't taste as bitter"

"Thanks lad" Furrex said and took the cup

The medicine helped with his arthritis and helped him sleep better. When he finished Lindir took to cup and covered Furrex up.

"Lindir I have something I need tell you" he said softly

Lindir was a little surprised but he listened "What is it?"

"I never told anyone this and I think it's time someone knew. When my wife was killed she was pregnant with my son" he said with a tears in his eyes.

Lindir felt his stomach drop "Why would you tell me now?" he asked

"I'm on my death bed and I just wanted someone to know that there should have been a Furrex junior running around" he smiled

"I think he would have been just as cheeky as you when we first met" Lindir said

"I think so. But I would have liked him to have turned out like you strong yet good hearted"

Lindir smiled at Furrex and wished to the Valar that he was not in such bad condition.

"I never got the chance the meet my son and would have loved to. Lindir I want you to know that I think of you as my own. I have for years" the tears poured from Furrex's eyes

Lindir's own face was steaming with tears and he told Furrex "I know. And thought of you of my father as well" he took hold of Furrex's hand between his own and the both of them enjoyed their peaceful moment.

Eight months later Lindir was panicking. He was frantically waking up the other family members.

"What's wrong lad" Dextera Tua slurred

"It's Furrex! I can feel his life force fading. He doesn't have much longer" Lindir said

The other members jumped out of bed and rushed to Furrex. It was just as Lindir said Furrex was dying. He was pale and his breathing was ragged. They gathered around their former king and waited for his final words.

"My friends...my family...you're all I have known for many, many years and I want you to look after each other" he told them

"We promise" Dextera Tua Said

"Lindir" Furrex said hoarsely

Lindir kneeled to Furrex's side and held his hand.

"I'm glad I met you lad, I never would have know what being a parent would have felt like if not for you. Elves live forever, does that mean you'll never forget me?" he asked

"No, never. I could never forget you and I'll make sure the world doesn't either"

"Thank you Lindir. Thank you everyone for...being my...family..." Furrex closed his eyes, took his last breath and died.

There was not a dry eye in sight. They all wept for Furrex but none more than Lindir. The night they burned Furrex on a pyre prayers were said, songs were sung and stories were told in his honour. Lindir felt his heart being torn in two. It was like he had lost his home and family again. Dextera Tua once told him that time heals all wounds, Lindir wished it was true.

As the years continued Lindir stayed the same, forever young while the rest of his friends grew older or got sick and died. Five years, eight years, twenty years almost everyone Lindir knew was dead. It was just him and three others and they were getting on in years.

One day they were approached by a stranger who called himself the new king of thieves. He offered them a place's in his court as he called it. As first they were sceptical but with their dwindling numbers they accepted.

Lindir did not like or trust these people. He made a promise to himself to never show these people his face or tell them his real name. He and his companions were taken to the kings hideout and they were told the rules. The rules were almost the same as the ones they already followed but they had some new ones. The three rules that the king said stood above all else were call me king and nothing else, always obey the king and betrayal with met with death.  

It didn't take long for the king and his men to figure out that he was an elf.

"How does an elf end up with the likes of us?" the king asked

Lindir didn't want to tell him anything so he just told him lost his home to orcs and had nowhere else to go. The truth but not the whole truth. The king believed him and didn't ask again.

They had been there a month and Lindir hated it. These thieves were to violent for him. They sometimes killed the people they robbed, they beat and raped women and they treated each other as enemies. You couldn't turn you backs on them.

Lindir had to beat some of them away when they got to close to him and wouldn't take no for an answer. He had tried to convince his friends to leave many times but they said they were in too deep. If they left they would be hunted down and silenced.

It only took four months for the last of Lindir's friends to die. Lindir was positive that the king had something do with their deaths but without any proof there was nothing he could do. He mourned the loss of his friends and realised that he was probably the last of Furrex's men.

Lindir wanted to leave but he remembered what is friend told him 'he would be hunted down and silenced' and in truth Lindir didn't have anywhere else to go. He was a criminal, a wanted elf, who would take him in?

Eleven miserable years later and Lindir sat with several other discussing a possible job at a jewellery store. One of the men suggested they kill the guards and Lindir felt sick. Unlike these people he considered himself clean. He had never killed anyone for anything.

Their planning was interrupted when the king's right hand man said that there was an important meeting in the main hall.

The king stood on his pedestal and said he had something big planned, the greatest heist ever known. He told them that there was an Elven convoy travelling the roads and they had great riches with them.

Everyone but Lindir was excited. Lindir considered himself a disgrace to the Elven race. He had stolen from his own kind before and always regretted it.

The king had found out the route the elves were going to take and started to make plans to intercept them. His plan was anything but simple. The elves had various guards that were heavily armed with swords, bows and armour. The only advantage the kings men had was the element of surprise.

After the plans were made and ever one had been given a roll to perform Lindir was called to the kings private room "You called for me?" Lindir asked

"Yes. I have a very special task for you Lindir" the king said

When the king said 'special task' Lindir immediately knew he meant 'I'm going to use you as a shield or bait' it was always the same. Lindir was sure the king wanted him dead.

"Your jobs is to protect my men" the king said

And there it was, Lindir managed to not roll his eyes and continued to listen.

"When my men take out the wheels of the carriage I want you to hide in the trees and throw projectiles at any who attacks us while the others grab the loot"

"Understood" Lindir asked sounding unimpressed

"Cheer up kid, this is the chance of a life time" the king laughed

Lindir grimace at the kings blackened teeth and left with a bow. Lindir had his task however...the king say he couldn't _accidentally_ throw projectiles at any one who went too far. Lindir smirked to himself, he had stopped other members from going too far during their missions such as men wanting to rape or kill victims. He took a sense of pride and joy when he stopped such terrible acts but he couldn't stop them all.

The day of the ambush came far too soon for Lindir. He could see the convoy while he was in the trees. The others were waiting in other various places they had all practiced for weeks and now they were going to put their plan into action. Lindir thought it was risky attacking during the day but the king insisted that the elves would not suspect being attacked in broad day light.

When the carriages were close enough the men thrust long spears in the wheels breaking the spokes and stopping the carriages. Then they attacked. Some men focused on the guards, others focused on keeping control any hostages and others grabbed the loot.

As Lindir kept an eye on the scene he kept himself hidden and threw knives at any guards. The knives he threw were blunt. He made them himself. They were designed as a distraction they wouldn't pierce the skin but they could leave bruises.

He threw the knives at the back of the guards helmets so the helmets would fall forward and cover their eyes. Then something caught Lindir's eye. One of them men was taking jewellery from the hostages and was getting to grabby with one of the females. When the men went to touch her chest Lindir threw a blunt knife at his hand.

The man hissed in pain and looked in the trees. He couldn't see the kid but knew he would get hit with another knife if he kept on trying to touch the women. He took the rest of the jewellery and fled.

Because Lindir was distracted throwing a knife at the man another man was killed by an Elvish blade.

The plan was going well several men had already gotten away with bags of gold of finery and the order to fall back was given.

As the men fled Lindir followed in then from the tree tops. The Elven archers began to fire arrows but Lindir intercepted them with his knives. Every knife met their target. He knocked the arrows to the ground before they could get to the men. Finally Lindir threw smoke bombs to deter the elves from following them.

The mission was a success.

When they had returned to their hideout the king declared a large celebration would be held. Lindir wanted no part of it. He sat alone in a small room he shared with four others. He hated the cramped conditions and the body odour the men produced was not his idea of luxury.

"You stupid runt" a gravelly voice said

Lindir looked to the door and saw the man he had thrown his blunt knife at.

The charged towards him and said "What the fuck did you think you were doing?"

"I was saving your life" Lindir lied "That female had a hidden blade on her if you'd have gotten any closer she would have slit your throat"

"You lying rat. If you pull a stunt like that I'll have your guts for garters. And I'll be speaking to the king about this" after that he left

Lindir didn't care, he never cared he stopped caring long ago.

In the morning Lindir was called to see the king _'I wonder what he wants?'_ Lindir thought sarcastically. He knew what he was being called for. When he entered the kings room he was he saw the man from yesterday, the king and his guards.

"There you are kid. It has been brought to my attention that you hurt one of my men. Is this true?" the king asked

"I saved him. The female had a knife and she was going to cut his throat" Lindir replied

"I don't know if you're telling the truth or not but because of you one of my men died and we lost the sack of gold he was carrying"

"Yes but everyone else got away with plenty more" Lindir argued

"Even so, you will be punished for your actions" the king said

When the king snapped his fingers two men grabbed Lindir and forced him to his knees. A third man showed up with a whip.

"Thirty lashes should be enough" the king said and the beating began

Lindir retreated to the back of mind and remembered the better moments in his life, it distracted him from the pain. When his punishment was over he was dropped unceremoniously face first onto the stone floor.

"I certainly hope you have learned your lesson" the king taunted

Lindir glared at him and left. He could already feel the wounds healing but it was still painful. He was never treated so badly in the past. He wished Furrex was still alive, he wished his friends were still alive, he wished he could leave this life behind.

**Next chapter we go to Rivendell.**

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Lord Elrond was sitting on a balcony enjoying his cup of tea when a messenger approached him.

"My Lord Elrond, I bring dreadful news" he said out of breath

Lord Elrond feared the worst and asked "What is it?"

"The convoy that was suppose to arrive at noon has been attacked by thieves. Their carriages were damaged and a lot of their possessions were stole but thankfully no one was killed"

Lord Elrond was relieved that no one had been killed, gold and other valuables were replaceable a life was not "Send aid immediately and make sure they are armed" he commanded

"Yes my Lord. Also they said they had killed one of the attackers, they will be bringing back the body so it can be examined"

"Very well. Go and tell the patrols to be ready" Elrond commanded

"Yes, my Lord"

The messenger left to do Lord Elrond's bidding and Lord Elrond went to his chief advisor. He knew Erestor would be in his office doing paper work. Lord Elrond's mind was racing whoever these thieves were they were very bold to attack during the day.

He entered Erestor's office without knocking due to it being an emergency "Erestor there is an emergency" he said

Erestor was up out of his seat like a shot "My Lord!?"

"The convey that was coming here was attacked, I need healers and the healing wing to be ready for their arrival"

"How many injured?" Erestor asked

"I do not know. Nobody has been killed however" Lord Elrond saw relief flash across Erestor's face.

"I will see that everything is prepared before they arrive. Shall I arrange for a council meeting?"

"Yes please. I want all the council members ready as soon as possible"

"I make sure everyone is ready"

"Thank you, mellon nin" after thanking Erestor Lord Elrond left

The soldiers were sent out to help the convey. They left Rivendell on horseback carrying weapons and supplies. The healing wing and healers were prepared for any that need their help. The council members were gathered and waited for their Lord to arrive.

It took about two and a half hours for the convoy to arrive. The elves of Rivendell helped where they could. The injured were taken to the healers and the others were taken to the guest houses. They were given shelter, food and water.

Lord Elrond found the leader of the convoy and approached him "Lord Calanon are you alright?" he asked

"I am well my Lord Elrond" he replied "Though I cannot say the same for some of my of my soldiers. I thank you for coming to are aid so soon"

"You are welcome. My chief advisor has set up the council if you feel you can join us you can tell us what happened" Lord Elrond explained

"I will join you" Calanon replied with a nod

Lord Elrond and Calanon made their way to the council area where Erestor and the council members were waiting.

"My Lord Elrond. My Lord Calanon the council is ready" said Erestor

When everyone had taken their seats Lord Elrond addressed them "We have been gathered here because this morning there was an attack on Lord Calanon's convoy. Some of his people were injured and have been taken to the healing wing. Lord Calanon could you tell us what happened?"

"Yes Lord Elrond. My convoy was on the road as you know we were heading here to discuss future trades and catch up with old friends. The ambush happened quickly the thieves knew where we were and waited for us. They used long spears to destroy are wheels and are carriages were disabled. They jumped out of the bushes and started to attack my soldiers. Some of them gathered the people who were defenceless and took their positions while others focused on the grabbing things form the carriages. We managed to kill one of them and we brought the body back for examination. When they had taken most of our treasures they fled" Calanon explained.

The council members were shocked at the efficiency of the attack and they feared these men would strike again.

"There are more convoys coming to Rivendell and they will take the same route, we need to warn them" a council member said

"You are right. I shall send messengers to intercept them and warm the of the dangers" Lord Elrond said and made sure Erestor took notes of his orders.

"How were men able to over take your soldiers?" Erestor asked

"That is where the story gets a little odd" Calanon said. The council members including Lord Elrond looked at Calanon strangely "There was one of them hidden in the trees. They threw knives at my soldiers. Thankfully these knives were blunt and could not pierce their skin. The person throwing the knives knocked my soldiers off guard"

"That is surprising. A single human was able to do that?" a council member asked

"That's what I thought until my soldiers fired arrows at the thieves when they ran. The person in the trees threw more knives and hit every arrow with deadly accuracy"

"So you are saying there was more than one person hiding in the trees?" Lord Elrond asked

"I do not know but it is a possibility" Calanon said unsurely

"I know of no one that can hit arrows mid-air with knives" Erestor said

"Neither do I" Lord Elrond agreed

The council members talked and made plans on how to deal with the situation. They would send messengers to the other convoys and offer extra protection if they need. Next they would send messages to the other Elven realms to tell them of the incident and finally they made plans to try and track the thieves. The council was called to an end and everyone began their jobs.

A few council members wrote letters and sent their messengers out to warn the other convoys. Another few sent their bests scouts to the scene of the attack to see if the men had left any tracks for them to follow. Erestor went to gathered information from the Calanon's people, any extra information could help them. And finally Lord Elrond wrote letters to the other Elven kingdoms. As Lord Elrond wrote the letters hoped that this was an isolated incident.

Unfortunately is wasn't and his messages would not be received in time to warn the others.

** Erestor's POV **

Erestor was good at hiding his emotions he had spent centuries perfecting his face of stone look. But this attack had made him gape. He was shocked like the rest of the council and was concerned about the safety of the people of Rivendell. Who's to say these men wouldn't kill someone next time they attacked.

He did as his Lord had told him and went to take information from the victims. He had plenty of ink and parchment on hand as he entered the guest houses.

"Ladies and gentlemen" he announced. When he had everyone's attention he continued "My name is Erestor I am Lord Elrond's chief councillor. He has sent me here to get information about the attack from anyone willing enough to talk about it at this moment in time" he explained

Erestor had gathered a number of elves willing to talk to him and took them into another part of the guest house. As he wrote everyone's testament he noticed the story's were about the same, the only minor differences were the person's personal experience.

While he was interviewing a young female elf he noticed her strange behaviour. She seemed very unsure about something "My lady is there something wrong?" other than the fact she had been attacked

"Well um, something strange happened during the attack. I'm not sure how to explain it"

"I see. Why don't you try and explain it as best as you can, with as much detail as possible" Erestor suggested

"I'll try. When the men attacked they gathered those who weren't soldiers and forced us to hand over anything of value. One of the men tried to...um...touch me"

Erestor understood her distress now "My lady if you need counselling on the matter, we have plenty of help to offer"

"Well it wasn't that. The person in the trees throwing the daggers at the guards threw one at his hand when he tried to grab me" she explained

"He attacked one of his own?" Erestor asked

"Yes. The man grabbed my necklace and then ran away"

Erestor furrowed his brows in confusion and said "Well that certainly is strange. Is there anything else?"

"No just that one strange event"

"I see. Well then I thank you for your time and my lady the offer of counselling is still available if you need it"

"Thank you My Lord I will think about it" and with a bow she left

After several hours Erestor had finished interviewing the victim and went to give him findings to Lord Elrond and the rest of the council. He arrived at the council meeting and took his seat "My Lords and ladies of the council I have gotten information from the victims of the attack and I have the results here" he said

"What did you find out?" Calanon asked

"The stories are basically the same the only difference were the persons personal experience. There was however something unusual reported" Erestor said

"And that was?" Lord Elrond

"One of the young females said one of the men tried to touch her, but when he tried the one hiding in the trees threw a dagger at him stopping him"

The council seemed to think for a moment before one of them asked "Did anyone see this man in the trees?"

"No, no one did. The person stayed concealed thought out the attack" Erestor replied

"Why would this man attack one of his own?" another council member asked

"Who knows? Maybe he is a thief with some sense of moral" Erestor scoffed

"Well whatever the reason it matters not. We will continue our plan to divert the convoys and send letters to the other elven realms. This council meeting is over" Lord Elrond said and everyone left the council meeting to continue their work.

As Lord Elrond and Erestor walked side by side to the morgue Lord Elrond asked "What do you make of this situation?"

"I do not like it my Lord. The human's that did this are bold that can only mean there are many of them. Their over confidence in themselves and their numbers will be their down fall however. They will make mistakes" Erestor explained

"I believe you are right" Lord Elrond and Erestor entered the morgue and spoke with Cilmion.

Cilmion bows and says "My Lords the body of the human has been examined"

"What have you found?" Lord Elrond asked

"I'm afraid we found nothing, my Lord. The body is clean. There is no tattoos or makings and there are no symbols we can trace" Cilmion said regretfully

Both Erestor and Lord were disappointed they could not trace or identify the body. They only hoped the patrols could find something at the scene of the attack "Thank you Cilmion. See the body is taken care of in a manner that befits a thief" Erestor said

"Yes, my Lord" Cilmion bowed

Erestor and Lord Elrond left leaving Cilmion to take care of the body.

"What do we do now my Lord?" Erestor asked

"We must wait for the patrols to return, once they give us their report we will start to plan our next move" Lord Elrond explained

"Very well" Erestor agreed

The rest of the day went by normally. When the sun was about to set the patrol returned. All of the soldiers except for the leader went to the barracks. The leader of the patrol went to give his findings to Lord Elrond.

He entered the council chamber with a polite bow and said "My Lords my patrol has returned"

"Excellent. Nothing happened while you were there?" Lord Elrond asked

"No, my Lord. Everyone is unharmed"

"Did you find any trail that could lead us to the humans?" Lord Elrond asked

"No, the trail had been cleared before we got there" he replied sadly

The councillors were slightly disheartened by this. Lord Elrond dismissed the soldier and faced the council "It appears that we cannot proceed any further with finding the men. We will continue with sending messages and making sure this incident does not happen again"

The councillors agreed and retired for the night.

"What will we do my Lord? We cannot let these men get away" Erestor asked

"They will not get away. They may have disappeared for now but as you said they will make a mistake and when they do we will be ready" Lord Elrond confident they would catch and stop the men.

**Next chapter we go back to Lindir.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Lindir was up early and gearing himself up just like the other men. They were getting ready to attack another elven convoy. Lindir rolled his eyes and sighed. The kings greed knew no bounds. Attacking one elven convoy was risky enough, but to attack another? that was just plain stupid. Lindir had no doubt that this was not going to go well.

Lindir knew the king was not the sharpest person but to attack another convoy in the same way they did last time was risky. The elves were going to be on high alert and be ready for them. They would no doubt have more guards and weapons. If that was the case Lindir's job just got a lot harder.

Lindir was hiding in the trees again while the men were on ground with their spears. He could see the convoy coming down the road and signalled the men. The men readied their spears and weapons. Until the convoy was close enough to strike.

The men used the same tactic as before shoving the spears in the spokes of the wheels breaking them and then charging from their hiding spaces.

Lindir was quick to use his tactic of throwing blunt knives at the helmets of the elves, covering their eyes. As the fight went on Lindir's eyes caught sight of an arrow being aimed at him. When the arrow was shot he jumped onto another branch and then focused on throwing blunt daggers. He kept a sharp eye on archer dogging his arrows with grace.

Soon enough another archer had join the first and was firing into the trees. Lindir had to multitask between throwing knives, dogging arrows, jumping from tree branches and keeping an eye on the men. Needless to say things were quickly getting out of control.

Because of so many distractions three men were killed by the elves and the order to retreat was given. As the men retreated all of the elves took out their bows and got ready to fire.

Lindir had no choice but to jump out of his hiding spot and stand in front of the elves line of fire. He was glad he was wearing his mask and hood keeping his identity safe. When the elves shot at him Lindir caught arrow after arrow, snapping them in half and then fleeing like the rest of the men.

Back in the hideout the king was not very happy. The amount of gold of and treasures stolen by his men was much less than what they had stolen before and he had lost three people. Not that the king cared about his men it just meant less hands to carry gold.

"Well...this is highly disappointing" the king said "Three of my men are dead and the haul you've brought back is a lot smaller than I imagined"

"We are sorry but there was not much to take this time and the guards were better armed" one of the men explained

The king scowled and turned to Lindir "Were you not doing your job Lindir?"

"Yes I was but I came under fire as well. I had to move from tree to tree while keeping your men safe" Lindir explained

"I thought you were better than this. I thought elves could multitask" the king mocked

Lindir glared at the king and replied "I can but there is a limit. And besides if it wasn't for me all of your men would have been dead"

"Do you want a medal?" the king asked sarcastically "Be gone all of you. You're all a disappointment"

Lindir heard snickering aimed at him because of the kings sarcastic question. But he ignored them. He made his way to a part of the hideout none of the men could get to. It was just a small ledge that he called the crook due to its unusual hook like shape. When he lied down in it no one could see him. It was the perfect hideaway.

He sighed and wondered why he stayed with these people. He missed Furrex and his family, he missed his mother and his village. He hated this place and these people he also hated the orcs that took everything from him. He balled his fist in anger and began to silently weep.

**In Rivendell.**

"My Lord Elrond!" a messenger said as he burst into Lord Elrond's office.

Lord Elrond jumped at the sudden intrusion and said "What is it?"

"Another convoy has been attacked. They have just arrived in Rivendell" the messenger replied

Lord Elrond's face was grim. He dropped his quill and rushed out the door. He followed the messenger to the entrance. He saw his healers working frantically to help the injured elves and some tried to calm down the children.

"My Lord Elrond" Erestor said as he approached his Lords side "The situation is the same as the last one. We believe is was the same men"

"This is getting out of hand. We must take action to stop these men" Lord Elrond said "Gather the council and see that some of your staff get information for the victims"

"Yes, my Lord" Erestor replied and with a bow he left.

Erestor gathered three of his staff members and told them gather information but do not pester anyone who didn't want to talk. He gathered the members of the council and took a seat next to his Lord.

"My Lord Elrond, if I may?" Erestor asked

"Proceed" Lord Elrond said allowing Erestor the right to the floor.

"The elves of the convey have brought three bodies of the men that attacked and from we can tell so far they are the same people that attacked last time. They even used the same method of attack. Breaking the wheels and jumping from several hiding places. My staff should be here soon with a list of evidence for the witnesses" Erestor explained

"Thank you Erestor" Lord Elrond said

The council talked for about an hour until one of Erestor's staff came with an arm full of scrolls "My Lords and Ladies" he said with a bow "I have the reports"

"What has been said?" Lord Elrond asked

"It is the same story as last time although the men did not get away with much. However there was something...disturbing reported by some of the guards"

"Disturbing?" Lord Elrond questioned furrowing his brows "What is it?"

"They say there was someone throwing blunt knives from the trees again and the guards opened fire on them. They were able to dodge all of their arrows by moving from tree to tree. When the men ran the archers opened fire on them. But the person who was in the trees jumped down and...um" the messenger stopped suddenly

"And what?" Erestor urged

"And then they managed to catch the arrows mid air, snap them in half and then run away"

There were looks of disbelieve from every member of the council "Are you sure that's what they said?" Erestor asked unconvinced

"Yes. Several of the guards saw the same thing. But there was something else" the messenger said "The guards think that the person who did this was an elf"

There were a few gasps from the council members and Lord Elrond asked "What made them think this?"

"They say it was the persons size, agility and reflexes that no mortal man would have"

"Did they see his face?" Erestor asked

"No, he wore a mask and the rest of his body was well hidden. They couldn't even see his hair"

Lord Elrond rubbed his chin in thought and then said to the messenger "You may leave the scrolls over there. That will be all thank you"

The messenger did as he was told and left with a polite bow.

"Do you really think that the person was an elf, my Lord?" a council member asked

"I do not know and without any evidence I cannot say for sure" Lord Elrond replied uncertain

"What if it is an elf? Why would they work for men?" Erestor asked

"Again I cannot say. I do however have a plan" Lord Elrond said "I think we should set a trap for these men. We should send a wagon as a decoy. We'll have soldiers disguises themselves as civilians and the wagon will be full of soldiers. We will try and bait them into robbing it and when they do the soldiers will attack them and if possible capture them alive" Lord Elrond explained "Erestor gather any soldiers willing to volunteer for this mission"

"Yes, my Lord" Erestor replied

"This meeting is over, until next time" Lord Elrond said and the council left

"Do you think this will work my Lord?" Erestor asked

"I have faith in my soldiers and I have faith in my plan, I believe it will work" Lord Elrond replied

"I certainly hope you are right my Lord" Erestor said unconvinced

**Next chapter back to Lindir.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The king was an idiot, a bloody fool. Attacking a third elven convoy in the same place in the same way. What the hell is he thinking? Lindir was angry to say the least. Trying to voice his opinion would do no good. The only thing he could do was brace himself for the worst.

Hidden in his tree Lindir saw the convoy, but something seemed different. The elves were calm but they posture seemed stiff. They weren't civilians, they were soldiers. And those carriages were probably full of soldiers. This situations was bad and Lindir smirked wickedly. He was going to use this to his advantage. He signalled the men and waited for their inevitable failure.

When the men started their attack the elves quickly drew their hidden weapons, jumped from the back of the carriages and began to overwhelm them.

Lindir watched and smirked from behind his mask as the men were getting slaughtered. He continued to throw knives but his aim was always slightly off. But it didn't take long before some elves turned their attention to him. He had to start dodging their arrows and then he was forced from his tree when the soldiers jumped into the tree. He jumped to the ground and tried to run away but was quickly surrounded.

He pulled out his twin swords and got ready for a fight. It was twelve against one but Lindir knew how to hold his ground. When the guards advanced on him he focused on blocking their attacks rather than attacking them. He didn't want to hurt them he was just waiting for an opportunity to run. From his peripheral vision he saw two men running and a third being shot dead with an arrow. With all the men gone in on way or another the elven guards focused on him and him alone. Lindir took a fighting stance and waited for the elves to make their move.

"If you lay down you weapons and surrender now you will be shown mercy" one elf said

Lindir didn't reply and kept his fighting stance. He made note of all the elves locations, their weapons and the possible opportunity for him to make an opening to escape.

"Archers ready arrows" the captain said. The archers notched their arrows and waited for the next order "Take aim" the captain said and raised his arm. The archers all took aim at Lindir and waited for the final order "This is your last chance, surrender or we will open fire" the captain said giving his final warning. Lindir did not move and that's all it took for the captain to say "Fire!"

The six archers unleashed their arrows at Lindir but he was ready. He used his swords to cut down the arrows with ease. As they lay in pieces at his feet he saw the looks of disbelief on their faces and smiled beneath his mask.

"Archers ready, fire again" the captain commanded. The elves did as they were told and fired at Lindir again.

Lindir cut the arrows into piece's again and waited for their next move.

"Attack!" the captain shouted and all at once the soldiers charge at him.

Lindir stuck with his plan of blocking with his swords. He used his legs to kick them in the stomachs to keep them from getting close to him. Using his agility he does back flips to escape the sharp swords and blocks using his own. This goes on for a while until Lindir feels like he's being overwhelmed, he had to take his fighting up a notch. He had to knock the elves down long enough for him to escape.

He put his swords away and prepares himself for hand to hand combat. He fights the elves by disarming them and then roundhouse kicking them. He front kicked a elf in the stomach and then round house kicked him in the head. He axe kicked another in the jaw and back kicked him in the stomach.

His sharp hearing alerted him to the sound of arrows being fired at him he quickly turned around and butterfly kicked four times to get out of the way. The archers fired again and he made the fast decision to take out the archers. He caught the arrows and sent them flying back towards the archers.

With no time to react they gasped when their own arrows broke the strings on their bows, but missed them by inches.

Another elf armed with a sword charged at Lindir. He moved out of the way, grabbed the elf by the arm, knees him in the elbow making him drop his weapon, kicks him the stomach and elbows his face. He sees two other elves coming towards him. He still had hold of the other elf and decided to use him. He grips the elf's arm tighter and throws him at the other two, knocking them over.

Lindir swiftly blocks an attack from another elf and hits him in the side of face, knocking him over. Damn those helmets hurt. He was then circled by eight elves and took to the Pu Bu stance. The first elf then ran towards got a swift kick to the head sending him flying into someone else. Lindir grabbed the next elf by the wrist and ankle and then flipped him into the air. And then finally he saw his opportunity to run.

He ducked under a guards arm and ran. One more elf tried to stop him but he smirked and jumped over him doing the splits as a final fuck you. Without their bows and being injured he knew they could not catch up with him and he continued running.

When Lindir returned to the hideout the king (as he already guessed) was seriously angry, not that Lindir cared. He was dirty and wanted to bathe.

"What the fuck happened out there?" the king bellowed

"The convoy we attacked was a trap, they knew we were there" Lindir explained

"Then will have to move elsewhere then. Further up or down the road should it. We'll show those elves. Next time we'll show those elves no mercy" a loud chorus of cheers rang out and Lindir walked off.

As Lindir bathed he wondered what the king was trying to prove. Show the elves no mercy? He was starting to turn this into a war and Lindir wanted no part of it. His plan had not succeeded. He had hoped the king would have stopped the attacks when this plan had failed but it seemed to have back fired. He sighed and wondered if there was a way for him to get out of this.

**In Rivendell.**

Lord Elrond was horrified when his soldiers came back to Rivendell battered and bruised, carrying broken weapons and dented armour. He and his healers worked hard to help them as they were told what had happened.

"My Lord Elrond we did our best. We killed all but three. Two men ran away and one stayed to fight. The one that stayed to fight was no man" the captain said

"You are sure?" asked Erestor

"I'm positive. No man could move or fight like he did" the captain replied

This put Lord Elrond in a very difficult situation. What was he going to do now? After healing the soldiers he and Erestor went back to his office to discuss their next move.

"We must have put some sort of dent in their numbers. But I think they attack again" Erestor said

"Agreed" Lord Elrond sighed and rubbed his temple "What should we do Erestor? If there is an elf working for them there must be a reason why"

"Not all elves are good like us my Lord" Erestor said "But perhaps that is not the case. Maybe he is being forced to work for them against his will"

"Perhaps. But why not asked for help instead of fighting?" Lord Elrond asked

"Fear most likely. I think we should concentrate on capturing this elf and bringing him to Rivendell for questioning" Erestor said

"Questioning? Erestor that might be a little bit much if he is being forced to work for them against his will" Lord Elrond explained taking a sip of wine.

"That as it maybe, my Lord he is still an enemy and must be treated like one until will can trust him and he can trust us. If we capture him we'll put him in the prison cells and try to convince him we mean no harm. If we succeed he may tell us the location of the men and then we can decide what to do with him afterwards" Erestor explained

Lord Elrond thought about his advisors plan and wondered if it was the best solution "You may be right, my friend. Elf or not he attacked my people and stole from others he must be brought to justice"  

"Of course my Lord" Erestor said bowing "What are you orders?" he asked

"I want you to call in Glorfindel, my sons and my elite soldiers it is time we began to plan are next move" Lord Elrond replied

Elite soldiers? This was serious "I shall see to it at once, my Lord" Erestor and with a bow he left to start Elrond's plan.

An hour later and everyone was gathered in the council room waiting for Lord Elrond's orders.

"Now that everyone is gathered I have prepared a plan of attack for the next time these men attack. Captain I want you and your elite soldiers to take down any men by any means necessary. I want your men hidden where you can and make a surprise attack before they can strike" Lord Elrond ordered

"Yes, my Lord" the captain said saluting

"Glorfindel and want you and my sons to focus on capturing the elf that is said to be working with the men and bring him here alive. He will be taken to the cells for questioning" Lord Elrond ordered

"Understood, my Lord" Glorfindel said

"Understood" the twins said in unison

"Once the men have been taken care of I want all of you to focus on capturing the elf if he is still fighting. That will become you main priority captain" Lord Elrond said

"Yes, my Lord" the captain said again saluting

"Now you all have your orders and tomorrow you will puts these orders into action, understand?"

"Yes, my Lord" they all said in unison saluting

The next morning the elves of Rivendell and the gang of thieves were preparing for a war between each other. Lindir was not looking forward to this, although he supposed if more men died then maybe the king might stop his attacks but the chances were slim.

The elves were ready and the men were ready...it was time to fight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Before Elrond sent his soldiers out help arrived from Lothlorien. The lady Galadriel had sent Haldir, Rumil and Orophin to help with the attack on the men. Lord Elrond was pleased to see them. He informed them of the plan to kill the thieves and take the elf prisoner. He also said that Glorfindel was in charge and they we're to follow his orders. Haldir said he and his brothers would do what they could and followed Elrond's soldiers out of Rivendell.    

The elite elves were Lord Elrond's best soldiers. They were well disciplined and patient. They had been hiding since dawn waiting for the men to show up. And eventually their patience got results the men showed up and got into their position, waiting for any unfortunate victims to pass by.

Lindir knew something was wrong. Sitting in his tree something was making the hairs on the back on his neck stand up. It was quiet to quiet, where were the birds? The men hadn't scared them off something else had and was still here, but where? Lindir couldn't see anything.

The elite elves were signalling each other silently. One elf signalled Glorfindel and the twins that he could see the elf in the tree. He signalled them the elf's location and they moved into position. Glorfindel signalled his soldiers to be ready to fight. When they were ready he gave the signal to attack.

The men had no idea they were being watched or that the road had been closed by the elves. So when the elves attacked them they had no time to react and were quickly taken out.

Lindir knew something was wrong. When the elves came from the trees and attacked he wondered how he could have missed them. They were different from anything else he had faced, he had to get away from them. He was going to make a run from it but someone began to shoot arrows in his direction. He jumped from the trees and came face to face with the legendary Balrog slayer, Glorfindel.

Lindir was stunned by his beauty. His golden hair flowed freely down his back and his eyes were fierce. He wonder if the is what he looked like when he faced the Balrog.

"Surrender now elf. I do not know why you work for the men but I will not hesitate to fight you if you do not surrender" Glorfindel said

Lindir didn't know how they knew he was as elf but he was not going to surrender. He pulled out his swords and prepared for a battle.

Glorfindel was a elf of honour and would make one final plea for him to surrender "Please I do not want to fight you but right now you are giving me no choice, just surrender" he said. The elf didn't drop his weapons and gave him no other choice but to fight "Very well then" he said and charged at him.

Lindir dodged Glorfindel's attack and went to kick him in the side but his attack missed. Lindir and Glorfindel's swords clashed and made sparks, Lindir knew he might not be any match for him, but he was going to try.

Glorfindel saw fire in this elf's eyes but he also saw youth. How old was this elf? He maybe young but his skills were impressive.

Lindir was not trying to hurt Glorfindel but it was difficult when your opponent was trying to hurt you. He deflected Glorfindel's sword and did a leg sweep but missed.

Meanwhile Haldir, Rumil, Orophin, Elladan and Elrohir were sitting in the trees with their bows at the ready. They were surprised at the elf managing to keep up with Glorfindel but they had to stay focused on their task and wait for their opportunity.

Lindir could not keep Glorfindel away from him nor could he keep him down, meaning he had no chance to run.

Glorfindel noticed something strange about how this elf was fighting him. He was holding back. He wasn't trying to hit him he was trying to find a way to escape him. Glorfindel was not going to allow him to escape. He struck one of the elf's blades hard enough to knock it out of his hand and into a tree.

Lindir was shocked at how hard Glorfindel hit his blade and now he had to find a way to get it back. While he continued to fight he kept inching back towards his blade and grabbed it. He tried to pull it out but it was stuck, he had no choice but to leave it. He went from two handed to one handed but it didn't matter he was still going to get away.

Glorfindel's plan to disarm the elf was half way done now he had to get rid of the other sword. He kept clashing with the elf and gave him a hard shove but was surprised when the elf threw knives at him. He moved out of the way but one of the daggers managed to cut his legs slightly. These were not the blunt daggers he had been told about.

Lindir tried his best to keep Glorfindel at a distance and kept throwing daggers at him. He didn't want to waste them all so he made sure to keep count of them. Unfortunately for Lindir he was too distracted by Glorfindel to noticed the archers taking aim at him.

When Haldir saw Glorfindel move in a certain way he knew that it was signal to fire his arrow. He aimed at the elf's sword and fired.

Lindir was shocked when his weapon was knocked out of his hand but he swiftly jumped into the air and caught it again. Lindir realised that there were elves hiding in the trees, but where? He couldn't see them and he didn't have time to look when Glorfindel charged at him again.

Lindir had to think of something. He had to think of a way to draw the elves out of their hiding places. As he fought Glorfindel he picked up his daggers and threw them into the trees. He didn't know if he was going to hit anything but what else could he do.

Haldir his brothers and the twins hid behind branches when knives were throw at them. Thankfully they all missed them. When the elf and Glorfindel locked swords there was another signal from Glorfindel it was Elladan's turn to take a shot.  

As Glorfindel and the elf locked swords and were the middle of a power struggle, Glorfindel lifted his sword dragged the other elf's with it an exposing his side to Elladan and giving his the signal.

Lindir choked when an arrow pierced his side but he stayed strong. He managed to knock Glorfindel off balance slightly, grabbed on his shoulders and flipped over him. He looked at his side and saw the arrow sticking out of him. He knew he shouldn't pull it out so he broke off the shaft and continued to fight. He began to strike hard and faster than before.

The fighting style of the elf had changed dramatically, Glorfindel knew he was getting desperate. He kept blocking the elf's sword but kept getting knocked back. He couldn't signal the others because the elf's moves were to unpredictable and he could get caught in the cross fire.

Lindir had made a plan it was dangerous but he had no other choice. After another hit Lindir swiftly turned around and ran for it. He heard a whistle from behind him. And arrows were being fired at him. He dodged them with ease but more kept coming.

Lindir stopped when he saw all the bodies of the men. Throats were slit and arrows were sticking out of them. The next thing he noticed were at least thirty elves were aiming their arrows at him and he knew there was more hiding. These elves were more organised and sharper than the others he had faced.

Glorfindel followed after the elf along with his comrades in the trees. He stopped when he saw the elf surrounded by the others. He cleared his throat and said "As you can see you are completely surrounded" the elf turned to face him "Please just surrender" the other elf glared at him. Glorfindel knew he was not going to give up.

Lindir had made a plan, he was going to run into the woods and find somewhere to lay low. He knew these woods like the back of his hand and had a few good hiding spots. Gripping the handle of his sword tightly he dashed in to his left. He heard someone shout 'fire' and it began to rain arrows.

As he ran he did so in a zigzag pattern making himself harder to hit. Unfortunately it only worked for a little while. He felt a sharp pain up the back of his upper right leg but it didn't stop him. He broke the shaft of arrow and kept running. He used the trees as shields and kept running in a unpredictable manner.

Glorfindel, Haldir and his brothers, the twins and the elite elves were all chasing after the elf and trying to take him down. One of the elves had managed to shoot him in the leg but it didn't slow him down.

"Elladan! Elrohir!" Glorfindel shouted

"Yes?" they replied

"Go after him. Get in front of him and cut him off" he ordered

"Yes, sir" they both said and dashed off ahead. The twins were confident in their speed and team work, they would catch up in no time. Jumping down from the trees they ran at either side of the elf trying to make him stop.

Lindir was shocked when two elves suddenly showed up on his left and right. He looked at them both and realised that they could keep up with him. When they both started to get in front of him he had to stop. He skidded to a halt and drew his sword while they drew their bows.

The twins aimed their arrows and held their positions waiting for Glorfindel to show up. They watched the elf carefully and when he dashed at them they fired. The elf deflected their arrows and continued towards them.

Lindir cut their down arrows and charged, his aim was to try and break their bows and fast. He slashed at them until he could get a clear shot of one of their bows. He smirked behind his mask as his sword connected with it. His smirk disappeared when the bow did not break in fact there wasn't even a scratch on it. He back flipped out of the way and took a defensive stance.

"If you're trying to break our weapons you had better give up. They are made from the bark of an enchanted oak tree" Elladan said "Now give up"

Lindir glared and growled at the two elves. The pain in his leg and side were starting to irritate him. He could see movement from behind the two elves and remembered about the army. He didn't have time to stand around anymore. He threw a couple of knives to distract the two elves and dashed in the opposite direction. Lindir was so focused on running he didn't notice the elf in the tree aiming at him.

Rumil was waiting for the perfect moment to strike the elf. He wasn't aiming for his body he was going to disarm him. He aimed at the elf's hand and fired a perfect shot.

Lindir gasped when his sword was knocked out of his hand. He watched as his other beloved sword left him and he had no time to retrieve it. Without his swords he would have to fight with his fists and what few daggers he had left.

More arrows were being shot him landing close to his feet. He was really getting annoyed with the elves hiding in the trees. The next arrow that was fired at him he grabbed and threw back at the elf. He saw the elf move out of the way and Lindir knew where he was.

Lindir stopped running and jumped up into the trees where he found elf. The elf was blond, young and very fair, he could not have come from Rivendell. Lindir kicked at him but missed, this blonde elf was agile. He exchanged a few punches and kicks until he got the upper hand. He gripped the elf's wrist and yanked him forward. He head butted him and threw him out of the tree.

When the blonde elf hit the floor Lindir heard an angry yell from behind him. Another blonde elf came charging at him. This one was older than the other one but the facial features almost looked the same. They must be related, brothers perhaps.

Haldir was good at keeping calm but he saw his baby brother Rumil being attacked he lost his shit. He charged without thinking and started to attack. He managed to hit the elf hard with his bow across his upper arm and continued to hit blow after blow.

Lindir blocked the attacks of the blonde elf but blocking with bare arms was a bad idea. He felt his arms beginning to burn he had to stop this. When the blonde elf struck again he grabbed the bow and countered the attack knocking the bow out of the blonde elf's hands. It didn't stop the blonde elf and he attacked again. Lindir grabbed his hands and they were both at a standoff.

Both of them were trying to overpower each other until Lindir remembered he could use his opponents weight against them. As the blonde elf pushed against him Lindir let him get the upper hand and when he lurched forward Lindir kneed him in the stomach. While he was winded Lindir kept a hold of his hands, lifted him of his feet, swung him around and slammed his spine into the trunk of the tree. He heard the blonde elf gasp and watched him fall from the tree. While he was in the clear he started to run again.

When Orophin found his brothers on the ground he immediately gave up the chase and went to help them. Haldir told him to continue to chase after the elf and he would look after Rumil. Orophin understood and left. Orophin was like his brother Haldir he could stay calm in almost any situation but when he saw Rumil holding a bloody nose he became filled with rage. Orophin saw the elf and ran at full speed to catch up to him.

Lindir could hear the sound of footsteps coming from behind him. One of the elves were catching up to him. They were getting close, to close and when he looked behind him another blonde elf attacked him with a sword. The sword cut his right hip and his left shoulder. Lindir hissed and blocked a third attack by grabbing his wrist. He quickly grabbed a sword that was strapped to the elf's belt and backed away.

"You'll pay for what you did to my brother's" Orophin said

"They started it" Lindir taunted and the blonde elf charged at him. Lindir was not use to fighting with the sword he had taken. It felt foreign in his hands but had nothing else to us and a dagger would do no good.

The two elves clashed swords each trying to take down their opponent. Attacking high and low they both seemed determined to be the winner.

When Lindir and the elf locked swords and were in the middle of a power struggle, Lindir noticed in the reflection of the swords another elf attack him from behind. His eyes widened and with cat like reflexes he ducked, did a hand stand and then did the splits kicking both of them in the chests. He pushed himself off the ground, making his body spin a few times in the air before landing in a tree. Before he had time to recover another elf attacked him.

Lindir blocked the elf's sword and swung around quickly when another elf joined in from behind. Fighting two elves with one sword was not good and it got worse when two more join in. Lindir took his chance to jump out of the tree and try to run away but all his paths were blocked, he was surrounded again. Even the two blonde elves, the twin elves and Glorfindel were there.

"That is enough, please surrender" Glorfindel said

Lindir was not going to surrender he would continue to fight even at the cost of his own life and at this rate it may very well come to that. His arrow wounds burned, his cuts stung and his body was beginning to ache. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to last.

Glorfindel was reluctant to attack the young elf again even he could see exhaustion setting in. Before he could say anything Haldir and Orophin attacked.

Lindir smirked when the two elves charged at him. They were both attacking out of rage making their moves predictable. He dogged the oldest one with ease by sliding underneath his legs and slide into the knees of the one, knocking him on the floor. Before the blonde elf could get up Lindir grabbed his ankle, swung him around and threw him into the older blonde elf, sending them flying. Lindir felt a sharp pain in the back of his left shoulder. He reached back and broke the arrow shaft, that arrow came from the younger blonde he had fought in the tree. Those three were defiantly related.

All the other elves started to attack using bows and swords. They were aiming to knock out and capture not kill. The archers made sure they were aiming for non-lethal spots on the body. And the elves with swords were keeping him occupied while the archers did their work.

Lindir's main priority was dodging the arrows, too many of them and he was done for. Unfortunately one of the elves managed to disarm him forcing him to use hand to hand combat.

He kicked one elf in the back of the leg forcing him to one knee and kicked him in the face. He turned around and back kicked another in the spine. He hid behind a tree to avoid being hit by arrows. He grabbed another elf by the shoulders forced him to turn around and punched him in the back off the head.

Lindir felt a dull pain in his right shoulder and right cheek when he was punched. He got behind the elf, jumped on the elf's back, wrapping his legs around the elf's neck and back flipped taking the elf with him. He made the elf's head connect with the ground with a sickening crack. He back flipped again, letting go and continued to fight.

Another elf charged at him and he defended himself. He used his arms to knock back his opponent and kicked him multiple times in the in the chest, leg, arms and head. He did a butterfly kick to avoid more arrows but one managed to pierce his lower right leg and right forearm. He broke both shafts and continued.

The twin elves were next to attack him. They were both very coordinated with their attacks and managed to get a few good hits to Lindir's arms, back and head but Lindir predicted their next move. They both used a sweeping kick and aimed for his chest but he caught them by the ankles and with all his might he swung them around hit others elves and let them go, slamming them into the others.

Lindir began to feel dizzy. The combination of blood loss, arrow wounds, multiple hits and exhaustion were starting to really take its toll on him. He was beginning to see double and his legs were beginning to shake.

Seeing the elf so tired made Glorfindel jump into action. Instead of using his sword he used his staff, it was a less lethal way of fighting the already injured elf. He locked eyes with him and charged. Holding his staff with both hands he blocked a jumping kick from the elf.

When Lindir connected with the staff he felt pain jolt through his leg. He placed his other leg on the staff, jumped into the air and aimed for Glorfindel's face. He kicked at Glorfindel's face several times but each hit was blocked. He landed on the ground and charged. He jabbed at Glorfindel's chest only for his hands to be hit away by his staff. Glorfindel swung his staff and connected it with his back.

"GAH!" Lindir shouted shocked by how painful it was. He hunched on the ground trying to rub his back when Glorfindel spoke to him again.

"Please listen to me I do not want to hurt you anymore. Can you not see that it is foolish to continue?" he said

 _'Foolish? Yes'_ Lindir thought as he stood up _'But I don't give up!'_ with more determination he charged again clutching his last dagger in his left hand. Unfortunately Lindir was so focused on Glorfindel that he didn't notice the other elf coming at him and when he did it was too late. The elf that charged at him hit his left arm with such force it broke.

"AAAAHHHH!" Lindir couldn't stop the scream that tore it's self from his throat. He arm went limp and he dropped his dagger. He stumbled backwards until he hit a tree. He gritted his teeth as he clutched his broken arm. He gasped for breath as the elves closed in on him.

"This fight is over, lower you weapons and take him into custody" Glorfindel ordered. The elves did as they were ordered and put away their weapons and one elf pulled out a pair of hand cuffs.

If they thought it was over, they thought wrong. Lindir had one last trick up his sleeve. This was his last defence, a smoke bomb. He raised his good arm above his hand and threw the smoke bomb on the ground. As it exploded it covered the area in a thick grey cloud and allowed Lindir to escape. Lindir used the last of his strength to run from the elves as quickly as he could but he could feel his strength being sapped from his body.

Glorfindel and the rest of the elves where choking on the smoke trying to clear it away. When it had cleared they gathered their bearings and saw that the elf was gone.

"We have to find him" Elladan said

"That won't be a problem" Haldir replied and pointed to a trail of blood the elf had left.

Where was he? How far had he gotten? Was he safe? Lindir was highly confused, tired and ready to collapse. He had to find somewhere to hide but if he didn't get medical attention soon he might actually die. He couldn't die yet, not like this. He used the trees to keep himself from falling over, leaving bloody hand prints on the bark and a blood trail on the ground. He suddenly felt light headed and could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Then something appeared in his line of sight, he squinted and forced his vision to focus and saw the elves.

Glorfindel and his men had found the elf with ease he hadn't gotten far and the trail of blood led them straight to him. Glorfindel pitied the young the elf, he was a mess and it still didn't look like he was going to give up, there was still determination in his pained eyes.

"You're still going to fight aren't you?" Glorfindel asked. He saw the elf nod his head "You can't fight anymore" he sighed and stepped towards him.

"Keep...away" Lindir said hoarsely when Glorfindel approached him. He raised his fist and stood on shaky legs ready for him.

Glorfindel sighed this elf was brave and stubborn and he continued to step forward.

Lindir felt sick. He felt light headed and black spots appeared in his vision. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.

When the elf collapsed Glorfindel rushed to his side. He checked his pulse to see if he was still alive, he was. He called over the healers and said "Heal what you can and we'll take him back to Rivendell"

"Take off his mask first. Let's find out who he is" Haldir said angrily. He quickly pushed past the healers and yanked off the mask. His eyes winded when he saw it was indeed a elf, with pierced ears no less.

"Easy Haldir, he needs healing" Glorfindel said. He looked at the elf's face closely and said "He is very young"

As the healers worked on him one of them gasped as they took off his shirt "By the Valar!"

"What? What is it?" Glorfindel asked

"A tattoo. On his back" the healer said

The elves gathered to see that there was a tattoo on his back. It was a tattoo of a blossom tree in full bloom with a dragon sleeping peacefully beneath it. Upon closer inspection the end of the tree branches were shaped like music notes. It was beautiful.

"Well he just keeps getting better, doesn't he?" Haldir said sarcastically

"What do you mean?" Glorfindel said confused

"He's a thief, he works for men, he attacked us and now we find out he's mutilated his own body with ink and metal. He's not much of an elf" Haldir sneered

"Enough Haldir we do not know his story therefore we cannot judge him" Glorfindel chastised and told the healers to continue.

When the healers had finished they put him on a stretcher and headed back to Rivendell. On the journey back Glorfindel wondered what Lord Elrond would make of this elf.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor. 
> 
> Authors note: I would like to thank everyone for their wonderful comments and continued support of this story :)  
> Also Lindir's earrings look like Elven ear cuffs.

When a messenger came to Lord Elrond with news that his plan had succeeded he and Erestor wasted no time in meeting the soldiers at the front gate. His soldiers looked a little worse for wear but they were all accounted for.

"Glorfindel, how did you fair?" Lord Elrond asked

"We are well enough, although the elf did give use a run for our gold. He hurt a number of us but he also needs help himself. He has a number of severe injuries that need attending to. There is much we need to talk about my Lord" Glorfindel explained

"Very well. Where is this elf?" Lord Elrond asked

"Over here on the stretcher" Glorfindel replied and point to the still unconscious elf.

Lord Elrond and Erestor looked at the elf stunned. The elf was wrapped in bandages, bloody and bruised. Lord Elrond placed a hand on the elf's forehead and thought _'He's still a child'_ Lord Elrond was shocked and ordered them to take him to the healing wing where he would look after him.

The elves obeyed and took the elf away. They themselves in need of healing went to the east healing wings to be taken care of.

Lord Elrond, Erestor and Glorfindel followed the elves carrying the young elf to the healers. When they got there the elves put the young elf on a bed and were dismissed to the other healing wing "What are his injuries?" Lord Elrond asked as he began to gather his equipment.

"He has several arrow heads lodged in different parts of his body, his left arm is broken and he has many cuts and bruises" Glorfindel said

"Very well. So tell me Glorfindel what happened out there?" Lord Elrond asked

"Well my Lord your elite soldiers managed to kill all the men without any problems it was this elf that gave us all the problems" Glorfindel started to explain

"My Lord his ears are pierced" Erestor said in disbelief, interrupting Glorfindel

"Yes I noticed" lord Elrond replied

"He has a very nice tattoo as well" Glorfindel added

"Where?" Erestor asked

"On his back. A blossom tree with a dragon sleeping underneath it and if you look closely the branches are shaped like music notes" Glorfindel replied

"Well this is...surprising. Anyway please continue your report" Lord Elrond said while he began to remove the arrows from the elf's body.

"His skills were highly impressive he was able to keep up with me in sword fighting, he outran your sons, went hand to hand against Haldir and his brothers and several of your elites and won and finally he managed to keep running from us with all those wounds until he passed out. He has the stamina of fifty elves" Glorfindel explained

"You praise him too much Glorfindel. He is still a criminal and I think we take certain precautions with him" Erestor said

"What can he do in this state?" Glorfindel scoffed

"Nothing yet. However I think we should have some guards around just in case" Erestor suggested

"Perhaps, but not yet he will be in no condition to move for weeks maybe even months" Lord Elrond replied. When he had turned the elf over on his back he had to admire the artistry of the tattoo. After about two hours Lord Elrond had finished his work and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"What now my Lord?" Erestor asked

"There's not much we can do until he wakes up. By the way Glorfindel did anyone get his name?"

"No, I'm afraid not" he replied

Lord Elrond rubbed his chin in thought and said "I will return to my room for some rest. Glorfindel I want everyone to write a report can you see to that?"

"Of course my Lord"

"Erestor I want letters to be sent out to the kingdoms after the reports are finished. Update them on the situation and later we will gather the council"

"Yes, my Lord but what about him?" Erestor asked

"He will be fine for now he will not wake up for some time"

"My Lord...How old is this elf?" Erestor asked. He knew Lord Elrond knew and had been waiting to ask him.

Lord Elrond sighed and replied "He is ninety"

"I knew he looked young but I didn't think he was that young. I feel awful about having to hurt a child" Glorfindel said

"He is ten years from majority" Erestor said "Where is his family?"

"There are many questions we need answering but we will need to wait a while" Lord Elrond said

"What are you thinking my Lord?" Erestor asked suspiciously

"I do not know what to think my friend. But I think we should continue as planed" Lord Elrond replied

Glorfindel left to find the elves that were with him during the fight to let them know lord Elrond wanted their reports. Then Erestor left to start the letters to the other kingdoms and wait for the reports, he would have messengers send them out later.

Lord Elrond sat next to the young elf and studied his face. He was so young how had he gotten mixed up in all of this? His eyes were drawn to the elf's piercings they were silver in the shape of his ears, pierced from top to bottom with red roses and green leaves trailing up them. Elves ears were very sensitive they must have hurt. This elf was different that's for sure, he only hoped he would cooperate. He left the healing wing and went back to his room. He sat in his chair to relax his tired muscles. He pondered for a while about how much more complicated this situation was going to get.

** Three weeks later.  **

When Lindir had woken up he was surprised he had woken up at all. Next he was surprised he had not woken up in a dungeon wrapped in chains. He had woken up in a comfortable bed in what looked like a healing room. Was he in Rivendell? He had no time to wonder he had to find away to escape.

Lindir looked around to make sure no one was in sight. When he saw the coast was clear he tried to move and failed. His body felt as heavy as a mountain. His left arm still felt broken and his muscles ached in protest at every movement. He tried to move again but stopped when he heard faint voices coming closer. He closed his eyes and kept still until it was safe again.

"Did you hear about the wine spill yesterday?" Lindir heard a voice said. A male voice from the sound of it.

"Yes I did, such a waste. Good thing we have plenty in storage" Another male voice said.

Lindir heard their footsteps as they entered the room he was in. He kept as still as a statue while he waited and listened.

"Let's have a look at his arm first"

Lindir felt his arm being moved and the bandages being unwrapped.

"How does it look?"

"It's very bruised and there is still some swelling, but it's healing well. I'll apply some salve and re-wrap it"

Lindir felt warm hands massaging a strong smelling cream on to his broken arm. He felt new bandages being wrapped around it.

"Done. Let's check his arrow wounds"

Lindir felt his body being examined in several places. He felt sooth being applied and bandages being wrapped. He wondered why he was treated so well, shouldn't he be rotting away in a dungeon?

"What's wrong?" one of the males asked

"It's just...those earrings. They are beautiful to look at but they must have hurt" the other male replied

"Yes, I bet they did. I'm more interested in his tattoo. It's a beautiful design. But I can't help but wonder why he would do such a thing to himself"

 _'What?'_ This confused Lindir, do what to himself?

"Maybe he was forced to have them. You know how men are"

"Indeed. Well there is no need to talk about this anymore, we must give Lord Elrond our report"

Lindir heard the two elves voices get further away as they left. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the room was empty again. The conversation between the two elves echoed in his mind. What was wrong with his earrings and tattoo? Well whatever their opinion it didn't matter, he was going to get out of here. But the two elves motioned Lord Elrond he was defiantly in Rivendell. How was he supposed to escape the hidden valley? He didn't know the layout, the paths, the structures or where the exit was and on top of that he was in no condition to fight. He was in a very bad situation. He had to be patient and wait for night fall, he would use the darkness as his cover and try to find a way out of Rivendell.

Time seemed to pass quickly for used Lindir he used the time he need to wait to rest and listen to the healers that came in. Lord Elrond didn't seem to check on him which was probably a good thing. When night came Lindir made his move. He carefully got out of bed despite his aching body. He stumbled a bit as he carefully looked out of the window.

He saw that there was no one standing guard and no one walking around, perfect he smirked. He climbed out of the window and tiptoed down the corridor. He wished he still had his black cloak, hood and mask the white clothes he was wearing now were not good for sneaking in the shadows.

As he travelled around he made a mental map of all the areas he went so he could find his way back to the healing room. He knew he was not going to get out of Rivendell today, so he had to be careful. He was on pins and needles right now every voice he heard made him hide and every other sound made him look for the source, but he had not been caught yet.

Suddenly his stomach gave a loud growl, he was hungry. Maybe he could find some food, perhaps there was a kitchen nearby. Poor Lindir never found a kitchen so he had to go back to the healing room hungry. He hadn't done much during his bid to escape this time. He'd managed to map out some of the paths but Rivendell very vast and with no map he was doomed to walk about lost. He tucked himself back into the bed and went back to sleep. He would continue his plan to escape tomorrow.

In the morning healers came and sorted out Lindir's wounds and have boring conversations. It was the same throughout the day. Although one female elf did mention cheese and wine at one point which made Lindir's mouth water. He learned that the healers were keeping him alive by injecting him with nutrients, of course it was nothing compared to a real meal.

When night came Lindir moved out again. Moving around Rivendell was nerve racking even if he had mapped out part of the path it wasn't enough. This time he had gotten further than he did yesterday, until he heard a couple of voices heading his way. He swiftly ducked behind some potted plants and stilled his breath.

The two elves that walked past him were guards. They were wearing armour and carried weapons. Lindir had heard that Rivendell was peaceful but it seemed that the elves here were still prepared for anything. To Lindir's luck they didn't see him and when they turned the corner he left his hiding spot.

Lindir had to hide many times during this run but soon he caught the smell of something nice. He could smell fresh bread and went to find it. Hiding on a balcony he could see inside the kitchen window. Below him he could see a basket of fresh baked loaves, some cheese, grapes and a few bottles of wine. He licked his lips and wondered how he could get the cook to leave so he could grab them.

He picked up a few small acorns off the floor and got closer to the window. There was only one female elf in the room, this would be easy. He threw one of the acorns at the other side of the room, it went out of the window and hit the railing. The sound caught the attention of the female who looked in the direction. Lindir threw another hitting the railing again, this time it made the female elf leave the room to inspect the noise. Seeing his chance Lindir went in and swiped the basket of bread, some cheese, grapes and a bottle of wine. He quickly left and hid on a balcony with his prize.

His mouth salivated when he took a bite out of the bread and cheese. It was the best tasting bread he had ever had and the cheese was so mature. The wine was strong and the grapes were juicy, it was a beautiful feast. He made sure to hide the evidence and continued his plan. He didn't get much further until he had to return to the healing wing. When he tucked himself in he realised that today had gone better than the day before. He knew where he could get food from and he thought he saw several new hiding places.

Lindir continued his plan for a week. Mapping out Rivendell and stealing from the kitchens. Unfortunately he didn't realised that his actions were causing quite a stir with the elves of Rivendell.

Lord Elrond was sitting with the council listening to several members of staff complaining about missing food and ghosts wondering around Rivendell. He was sick of hearing about these incidents. The first three times he heard about it he immediately suspected his sons were playing pranks but when he asked them he realised it could not have been them because they were out on patrol during that time and now more people are talking about ghosts, what was happening around here?

"My Lord Elrond I swear I saw a white figure. And when I followed it, it seemed to disappear" the guard explained

"I see. Miss Alya you are still having troubles in the kitchens, correct?" Lord Elrond asked

"Yes my Lord, food and wine are going missing every night and none of my staff see anyone come in or out of the kitchen. Although there are some strange noises before they go missing and when they investigated them they found acorns had been thrown" she explained

"I see...What else has been happing?" Lord Elrond asked

The guards reported the same white figure that seems to disappear when followed and many members of staff have witnessed the same thing. Lord Elrond wondered if it was the ghost of a fallen elf soldier but he shook such thoughts from his head, he had to stay practical, his people were already spooked by this apparition and if they saw him being scared then who knows what would happen.

Lord Elrond stood up and spoke "The very idea that Rivendell is haunted is a very ridiculous idea. This is obviously someone pulling a very elaborate prank and it is not my sons I might add as they were away when this started. What we need is some way to figure out this mystery. Does anyone have any ideas?" he asked

Miss Alya was the first to offer a suggestion "My Lord, what about placing a guard in the kitchen during the night? So if anything strange happens they may investigate while my staff continue their work"

"Very well I will see that a guard is placed in the kitchen. Is there any other suggestions" Lord Elrond asked

There were suggestions of placing more guards around the areas the ghost was seen and someone even suggested a temporary curfew. Lord Elrond agreed to place more guards but denied the idea of a curfew, he didn't want the residents of Rivendell to panic further.

When the meeting was over Erestor wanted to talk to Lord Elrond in private. They went into his study and sat down to talk "What is it my friend?" Lord Elrond asked.

"My Lord Elrond this may sound a little crazy but I think this ghost and food thief are the same person" Erestor said

"Really? How so?"

"I think it is the elven thief that is in the healing wing" Erestor said

"How can you be sure?" Lord Elrond asked

"Because these strange things only started to happen after he arrived. What if he has been awake this past week and has been sneaking out during the night? I think we should place some spies around the wing tonight to find out" Erestor suggested

Lord Elrond thought about this. Could it really be the elf? The more he thought about it the more it seemed possible "I trust your judgment my friend. I will put my sons and the roof of the healing wing and I will have Haldir and his brothers in trees outside of the wing" Lord Elrond called for his sons and the brothers of Lothlorien. He told them the plan and said "You are to follow and observe only. Do not engage him or stop unless he means harm to anyone. Do you understand?" They all said yes and got prepared.  

"I can't believe the nerve of this elf" Said Haldir "Stealing from the kitchens and scaring the staff"

"It might not be him, it could be someone else" Elrohir said

Haldir snorted and grabbed his cloak. The five of them got into their positions an hour before dark and waited.

When it was dark outside Lindir continued his escape plan. He wished his damn arm was fixed already sneaking about was difficult with one arm. He looked out the window to make sure the coast was clear and then left. His first stop was the kitchen as always. When he got there he realised that something was different, there was a guard. Obviously the elves of this kitchen were tired of food being stolen and decided to take action against him. No matter he still the backup kitchen he found.

Lindir made his way to the other kitchen. He hadn't stolen from this one yet but tonight he had to. He used the same technique to steal from this one as he had the other one. Sitting in a small hiding spot he ate and drank in peace, unaware he was being watched.

When Orophin spotted movement from the healing wing he signalled the others. They moved to his spot to see that the elven thief was indeed awake and on the move. They watched as he moved around Rivendell in the shadows and made his way to the kitchen where reports of missing food and strange activity. The thief noticed the guard and moved away from the kitchen. They followed him to the another kitchen where he threw acorns to distract the cooks and then stole some food and drinks.

"I told you it was him. He is the ghost and the thief" Haldir whispered through his teeth

Elladan made a shushing noise and continued to watch. The thief ate and drank and then hid the evidence. The thief wondered around Rivendell, hiding in the dark and avoiding any other elves. Rumil noticed that the elf didn't seem intent on hurting anyone or stealing anything of value, he seemed more intent on finding a way out but that was just his opinion. The five of them followed the thief until the sun started to rise and the thief returned to the healing wing. After this the five of them went to tell Lord Elrond about the thief's movements.

Lindir had failed to find a way out of Rivendell again and now things had gotten worse. He had noticed an increase of guards on the paths that he used and that guard in the kitchen meant the elves of Rivendell were getting suspicious. Maybe they didn't know it was him? Maybe they thought it was this ghost he heard the healers talking about? Well no matter he would continue tomorrow night and hopefully find a way to escape.

Lord Elrond was surprised with the report the five elves had told him. It was the elf in the healing wing causing all the trouble. He made the decision to confront the elf today.

"My Lord perhaps we should place guards at the windows and doors just in case" Erestor suggested

"Agreed, me and my brothers will stand next to you" Haldir said

"That may not be necessary" Lord Elrond said

"Necessary or not my Lord this elf is highly dangerous and may try to escape" Haldir argued

Haldir did have a point and in the end Lord Elrond agreed. Before entering the healing wing guards were placed in the outside and the five elves went in with Lord Elrond. They were armed and at his side. Lord Elrond readied himself as he faced the sleeping elf. Now maybe he would get answers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Lord Elrond lightly tapped the elf's shoulder and said "Time to wake up. We need to talk" he got no response.

Lindir knew there were many eyes on him and many people in the room. He felt someone tap his shoulder and tell him to wake up, he scoffed to himself and was not going to wake up.

Lord Elrond sighed when he was ignored. He tapped the elf on the shoulder again and said "I know you are not asleep and that you have been sneaking out at night. You were followed last night, so you may as well stop pretending and wake up"

Lindir almost flinched, he was followed last night, how? Who had followed him? Damn these elves were good. He had to admit though the game was over, he had been caught and like the elf said he may as well wake up. He opened his eyes and sat up quickly, he glared at the elf next to him and waited.

"Ah finally" Lord Elrond said ignoring the glare the elf was giving him "Good morning my name is Lord Elrond. You have been under my care for a good few weeks young one. Can you tell me your name?" Lord Elrond asked

Lindir continued to glare at Lord Elrond but did not speak. He had to think of something to escape. He felt a breeze coming from the window behind him and made a plan.

"There is no need for this icy silence young one. You are safe here" Lord Elrond said and put his hand on the elf's shoulder.

Lindir saw his moment when Lord Elrond put a hand on his shoulder he bite it slightly and when Lord Elrond pulled his hand away Lindir grabbed the bed's quilt and threw it over the elves. While they were fumbling with the quilt Lindir jumped out of the window, but to his surprise there were elves waiting on the outside. When the elves saw him, they grabbed him and started to drag him back into the healing wing.

"Let me go you bastards!" Lindir said struggling. If only his arm wasn't broken. He was dragged back inside the healing room kicking and screaming. More elves grabbed him and pinned him onto the bed "Let me go! Ouch!" Lindir winced when he felt a sharp pain from his broken arm.

Once the elves had pinned the elf so he couldn't escape, Lord Elrond approached "That was not necessary young one. This is Rivendell a safe haven for elves, no one here will harm you" he said calmly.

Lindir glared at him and wondered how he could say no one wanted to harm, all these elves had done was harm him. He tried to struggle but it was impossible, there was too much weight holding him down.

"You must calm down young one or you will only hurt yourself further" Lord Elrond said. He stood next the elf and placed a hand on his forehead. The elf stiffened at his touch and shook his head from side to side trying to move away from him.

Lindir did not like to be touched, he felt so violated right now. So many different hands on him, it was disgusting. He kept trying to move in any way possible but it was futile.

"My Lord Elrond perhaps we should use something to keep him calm" Erestor said when he noticed that the elf was not going to calm down.

Lord Elrond looked at Erestor and wanted to say 'it was not necessary' but he knew that would be a wrong assumption. The young elf was not going to listen to him or keep calm "Very well" he said and got out a needle. He filled it with the solution and approached the young elf. The elf's eyes went wide and Lord Elrond felt very sorry for him as he inched closer with the needle.

When Lindir saw the needle filled with some sort of green liquid he did not want it to touch him. He tried to move again but the elves pinning him down did not let up. He felt the sharp pinch of the needle pierce his arm and the cold liquid enter his blood stream. Whatever that liquid was that effects of it were immediate. He felt his body begin to relax and his strength deplete.

Lord Elrond told the elves to let go of the young elf and confronted him again "There is no need for any this. Please let me help you"

"I don't want your help you old bastard" Lindir replied

"I don't think you understand the position you're in" Erestor said "You are lucky you woke up in the healers and not in the dungeons thief. Lord Elrond had defended you and cared for you and yet you insult him. You should treat him with the respect he deserves" Erestor told him sternly

Lindir listened to the elf and scoffed. All he did to reply was stick his tongue out. He knew it was childish but he didn't care nor could he do anything else.

Erestor was slightly taken back by the elf's actions but it did prove something "Well your actions just now proved just how much of a child you really are"

"I am ninety years old, I am no child" Lindir protested

Everyone in the room felt awkward and uneasy and Lord Elrond spoke up "Yes you are. Elves are not considered adults until they are one hundred years old. You are still in fact a child"

Lindir was surprised at this. Was he really still a child? He didn't remember ever been told about how his kind aged, not even by his parents. But still whatever "I don't care what you say, I'm not a child" he huffed.

"Young one please we are here to help you..." Lord Elrond said before he was rudely and loudly cut off.

"FUCK OFF! I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKING HELP! JUST FUCKING FUCK OFF" Lindir shouted

All the elves were shocked at the level of profanity used by him and Lord Elrond was not going to put up with it "Very well then, Haldir and Orophin you two are to stay here and stand guard. If he tries to leave again you will stop him"

Orophin and Haldir agreed and stood near the foot of the bed armed and ready.

Lord Elrond turned to two of healers and said "You two will stay here as well if he gets out of control use the needle" They agreed "Everyone else it is time to leave" Lord Elrond ordered

Lindir was almost horrified by this, as the elves started to leave the room he tried to move but found it was useless. He was trapped in room with two elven guards, healers that were prepared to drug him and his plans to escape were slowly starting to crumble. What was he going to do now?

"It seems that thievery is not the only thing men have taught him" Elladan said

"Yeah, what a potty mouth" Elrohir agreed

"Ma would have washed our mouths out with soap" Elladan laughed

"Are you sure that was enough my Lord?" Erestor asked

"You do not think so?" Lord Elrond asked

"No, my Lord, I do not. This elf maybe young, still a child but he is very dangerous. He will try to escape again and if he succeeds it maybe disastrous for Rivendell" Erestor replied

"How?" Elrohir asked

"If he got out he would go back to the men and if that happened he could try and bring the men to Rivendell to steal and attack us" Erestor explained

"He could be a problem, my Lord" Glorfindel agreed

Lord Elrond thought about for a moment and sighed "You may be right however his reaction was normal. He was confused and he doesn't trust us"

"Don't forget he works with men. What if they've brainwashed him" Elladan said. Elladan's statement may have been an over exaggeration but it did make everyone think about the possibility.

Rumil was quiet during the walk back to the housing area. He was thinking hard about the elven thief. Rumil was the youngest of his brothers and that made him highly curious. He wanted to talk with the thief and maybe learn his name. Although it might be difficult with his brothers on guard duty.

When Erestor went back to his chambers with Glorfindel he groaned loudly.

"Problem?" Glorfindel said

"Yes, I don't know how I am going to sleep tonight knowing that thief maybe running around trying to escape" he replied rubbing his forehead

Glorfindel grinned wickedly and said "Oh I know what will help you sleep" he picked Erestor up and pinned him down on the bed. He kissed his lips roughly and felt his lover smile.

When Lord Elrond entered his room there was only one thought on his mind. What was he going to do?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Lindir sat in his bed (After the drug had wore off) and glared at the two blonde elves. He wasn't very intimidating he knows but he hated them so much.

Haldir was not unnerved by the elf currently glaring at him in fact it made him want to punch him. No wait he was child, young than his brother Rumil in fact. When he thought about that he pitied the young elf, who knows what the men had done to him. But still he did want to put him over his knee and give him a good spanking.

"Glaring at us will do no good" Orophin said

Lindir scoffed and continued glaring.

Haldir may dislike the elf but maybe if he spoke to him casually, without any hostilities then maybe he might learn something "Young one there really is no need for hostilities"

"Stop calling me that" Lindir hissed

"Calling you what?" Haldir asked

"Young one"

"We do not know what else to call you. Why don't you tell us your name so we can call you by that instead" Haldir said

"Not a chance. I am no fool" Lindir snorted

Well no one could say Haldir didn't try. When night came around the young elf had fallen asleep still sitting up. Haldir walked up beside him to make sure he was completely asleep. He laid him back down and covered him up. Standing back at his post he wondered how difficult this job was really going to be.

The next day Lindir was told by the healers that his arm was completely fixed. An hour later he tried to escape. Unfortunately he got caught and was taken back to healers and drugged. This kept happening to him because he was at such a disadvantage. Being out numbered and not knowing the layout was a big problem even if he could fight. He tried to escape the next day and the next day but he always failed.

"Let me go!" Lindir said as he struggled against Haldir and Orophin

"No, calm down. Get the needle" Haldir said

"I don't want it!" Lindir said when he saw the needle. The needle was inserted into his arm and liquid was injected. Lindir felt his body relax and stopped struggling "Valar damn you" Lindir spat.

Haldir and Orophin let him go and went back to their posts. To their surprise not long after their little brother Rumil came in "Rumil? What are you doing here?" Haldir asked

"I wanted to talk with him" Rumil said and pointed to the young elf.

Haldir scrunched up him face in confusion and asked "Why?"

"I thought that maybe I could help him" Rumil replied

Haldir sighed to himself his younger brother could be so naive at times "Leave Rumil. No talking to the prisoner" he said

"Please Haldir. You and Orophin are right here and he can't move so nothing bad could happen" Rumil pleaded

Haldir thought about it and wondered if his brother could get through to the young elf. Maybe he could even learn his name "Alright but be careful" Haldir said

"Thank you" Rumil said and sat next to the elf

Lindir glared at Rumil as he sat next to him.

"My name is Rumil. What is your name?" Rumil asked

"I know your name and my name is none of your concern" Lindir replied

Rumil frowned slightly, he should have expected that. He noticed the elf's earrings and reached out to touch them.

Lindir saw Rumil's hand coming near him and warned him "If you touch me I will bite your fucking finger off"  

Rumil didn't withdraw his hand and said "I just want to look at your earrings, they're nice" and touched the earrings between his fingers.

Lindir immediately snapped his mouth close to Rumil's fingers in an attempt to bite them. The blonde elf removed his hand surprised "I fucking warned you, you stupid brat. Hey blondie get rid of your brother before he gets hurt" Lindir said

Haldir sneered at him and took his brother out of the room "Don't talk to him again Rumil. He is still dangerous"

"I just thought that maybe I could help, that maybe he needed a friend. He's so hostile to everyone I thought he could do with some company" Rumil said sadly

Haldir hugged his brother and said "Your heart is in the right place but he does not want what you have to offer" after comforting his brother he went back inside to confront the elf. He stood over the and said "Why did you do that? There is no need to be so hostile"

"Screw off" Lindir snorted

"If you were my child I'd put you over my knee for such vulgarity. Why do you want to leave so badly? Why do you want to go back to the men?" Haldir asked

 _'Why do you want to go back to the men?'_ that question made Lindir think. Why was he trying to escape so badly? Just to go back to a life of misery at the hands of men. No! He would not be tricked so easily. He knew people like him were killed for their crimes and these elves would kill him eventually. He would get away before that happened.

Haldir sighed when he realised the elf was not listening to him and went back to his post.

The next day Lindir didn't to escape again until there was a change in guards unfortunately for him his plan was ruined when he received some unexpected guests.

"Good morning" two cheery voices said together

Lindir looked and saw to the twin elves smiling at him. He rolled his eyes and looked away. They tried to have a conversation with him and have share some jokes but he ignored them until they went away. He tried to escape again and failed again. He kept trying to escape for a week until something stopped him completely.

Lord Elrond had called a very small meeting with those close to him to discuss the situation.  

"This is the twelfth time in seven days he has tried to escape my Lord" Erestor complained "I think we should move him to the dungeons"

"I will not imprison a child Erestor" Lord Elrond argued

"What if we put a chain on his ankle so he couldn't escape?" Glorfindel suggested

"For the last time, I will not imprison him" Lord Elrond said

"I didn't mean put him in prison, I mean what if we chained him to the floor of healing wing so then he couldn't run away. Don't consider it imprisonment instead consider it a way of being harshly grounded" Glorfindel explained

"I do not know that still sounds like being imprisoned" Lord Elrond sighed

"We must do something my Lord, this cannot go on. Your heart is in the right place my Lord when it comes to this elf being a child but he is very dangerous. He has sent too many of your guards to the healing wings as it is. We need to take drastic action, now" Erestor said

Lord Elrond felt his heart ache at the thought but maybe it was necessary "Very well. Do it if you must" he said

"Thank you. I will see to it immediately" Erestor said and left. He went to the blacksmiths and told him of Lord Elrond's orders. The blacksmith made an unbreakable chain with the necessary requirements. The blacksmith and his apprentice followed Erestor to the healing wing.

Lindir was once again drugged on the healing bed and left alone when three elves came in. He knew one was Erestor the advisor but he didn't recognise the other two.

"Place it on his ankle and they chain it to the floor" Erestor said

Lindir was shocked when a cold metal ring was placed around his ankle. The ring was connected to a chain and the chain was being bolted to the floor "What are you doing?" he asked

"Stopping you from running away, permanently" Erestor replied

"You-you cannot do this" Lindir said horrified

"Yes I can. You should have accepted are help and stopped trying to escape and this would not have happened" Erestor explained

"We're done my Lord" the blacksmith said

"Thank you. You may leave now" Erestor said. The blacksmith and his apprentice left with a polite bow

Lindir looked at the chain horrified and winced.

"Now maybe you'll start to behave" Erestor said and started to leave

"I'll break this chain. I'll rip out the floorboards if I have to. Y-You won't keep me here" Lindir said as his voice began to crack.

Erestor didn't take any delight in his actions and seeing how upset his actions had made the young elf made his chest hurt "That chain is made from steel and mithril it will not break" he said

"And neither with I" Lindir sneered

"Why are you hostile against us? You are an elf like us and we only want to help" Erestor asked

"I'm hostile because I know that sooner or later you'll just put a noose around my neck or take me to the chopping block and kill me" Lindir explained

"Who told you that?" Erestor asked shocked

"No one needs to tell me I know you will. You said it yourself I'm a criminal, a thief and thieves are killed when they are caught. Everybody knows that" Lindir replied

Erestor sighed hard. He knew that is what happened to thieves but this time it was different "We do not wish to kill you. We wish to help you. You will not be harmed in Rivendell" Erestor told him.

Lindir sneered and looked away.

Erestor left the healing wing and went back to his Lords office. He entered with a heavy heart and told Lord Elrond everything that had happened in the healing wing.

"I see. We must try and convince him that we mean no harm or else he will just keep rejecting are help" Lord Elrond said and everyone agreed with him.

Before the conversation could go on any further a messenger arrived "My Lord. The other elven rulers will arrive in a few days"

"Excellent. Maybe the Lady Galadriel could help us, with are situation" Lord Elrond said

**Next Chapter: Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn and King Thranduil arrive in Rivendell.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

After a day's rest Lindir started to try and break the chain around his ankle. He pulled at it with all his strength, he tried to slip his ankle out and he tried to pull it out of the floor but it would not budge. He didn't give up at all though, he kept pulling at it hoping that the next tug would snap it.

Haldir and Orophin watched as the young elf tried to free himself from his bonds. Both of them felt sorry for him and neither wanted to keep watching.

"The chain will not break. Please just stop" Haldir said

"Never" Lindir hissed and tried to yank the chain out of the floor again.

Haldir and Orophin watched him try to break the chain all day. When he decided to stop he was sweaty, breathing heavily and had made the skin on his hands and ankle sore. He refused to let the healers treat him and refused the food they had brought for him.

"Why do you refuse the food? It is not poisoned" Orophin said

"I'm not hungry. You eat it" Lindir spat and covered the quilt over himself.

Haldir sighed and wished this whole thing could be over.

Lindir tried to break the chain again the next day and the next day. He was starting to lose his confidence and his muscles began to ache. At one point he had managed to pull his shoulder and made his ankle bleed and stopped due to the pain. When the healers came he let them tend to his wounds this time so he could try to break it again later.

Haldir and Orophin were surprised when their brother Rumil came into the healing wing with a tray of food and drink "Rumil, what are you doing here?" Orophin asked

"Delivering food for him" Rumil replied pointing to the young elf. He walked over and put the tray on the side table and sat in a chair "Eat up, while it's fresh" he said.

Lindir stared at him and sighed defeated. He hadn't eaten at all yesterday and was too hungry to argue. He took a bite of toast and savoured the sweet strawberry jam.

Rumil smiled at him until he saw the chain around his ankle. He frowned and remembered Haldir telling him how much the elf had had tried to break it. Rumil didn't agree with the chain even if it did stop him from escaping, it was still cruel. When the elf took a sip of tea Rumil asked "It is nice?"

Lindir looked at Rumil and said "It's fine" he wasn't why he replied, maybe it was due to the fact that he was completely helpless now. Helpless? That was a word Lindir had never associated with himself before. He had always been in control and aware of everything but now...now he was nothing, in Rivendell he was nothing. He was no master thief, no spy, no warrior and no elf, he was nothing now. This thought depressed him greatly. He didn't realise he was staring into his cup in a daze until Rumil spoke to him again.

"Are you alright?" Rumil asked

"Fine, just tired" Lindir replied. And it was true, he was tired. Sleeping had become difficult for him lately. His mind had become so bombarded with depressing and negative thoughts that he had developed insomnia. And when he did sleep he had nightmares.

"We have herbs to help you sleep" Rumil said

"I've been injected with enough drugs" Lindir snapped

Rumil flinched at his harsh tone and said "I didn't mean it like that. You can put the herbs in tea or-"

"I said no" Lindir said interrupting Rumil

After a few minutes the food and drink was gone except for a few cherries. Rumil saw them and said "Don't you want them?"

"I don't like cherries" Lindir said

"Neither do I" Rumil said "I don't the texture but I like them if their squeezed into a drink or jam"

"I didn't ask for your life story" Lindir said sarcastically

"I just thought..." Rumil wasn't sure what to think "I was hoping to have a conversation with you"

"Well you thought wrong" Lindir said. He laid down and covered himself up. He was done dealing with these blonde elves for one day.  

Rumil sighed and took the tray away. He thought things were going to go well when he talked back nicely but it didn't turn out as well as he had hoped. Still Rumil wouldn't give up, he knew the elf needed someone to talk to and he was going to be that elf.

As Lindir slept he began to have a vivid nightmare about a village being burned down by orcs. He was running past dead bodies and avoiding arrows. He stopped when he saw the body of his mother frozen with fear he tried to scream but nothing came out. The next thing he knew a dark shadow loomed over him. He turned around and faced an orc. The orc lifted up his axe swung it down. Before it struck Lindir he woke up with a jump.

Taking deep breaths and wiping the sweat from his forehead Lindir sat up. He looked around the healing wing and saw it was still dark. He lay back down and thought about his nightmare. It was the night the orcs came and ruined his life. He remembered his mother and their final moments. He wondered what would happen if he went back to his village, to where is mother died, what would be left? He whimpered slightly and cover the quilt over his head.

The next day Lindir tried to break the chain again and failed. He quit earlier than he did before and sat quietly on the bed. He didn't look at any the blonde elves that came in or stop the healers from helping him. He didn't eat or drink, he was slowly starting to lose his confidence. That night he had another nightmare. People that he had made friends with dropped dead all around him. He knew all their faces and knew where to find their graves. He woke up again drenched in sweat and felt like crying. He covered himself up and curled into the fetal position.

Over the next few days Lindir didn't do much. He just lay in bed as the days passed him by. He didn't talk to anyone including Rumil nor did he eat. In the end Lindir felt like he was dying inside and outside.

Haldir, Orophin, Rumil and the healers were getting worried about the young elf and had sent for Lord Elrond. After reading their reports Lord Elrond made his way to the healing room. He found the elf curled up in bed. He was awake but not really seeing, he was dazed. Lord Elrond sat on the bed and said "My healers are becoming concerned with your well being. You are not eating or talking and your attitude towards people has done a complete turnaround. What is wrong young one?"

Lindir wanted to say he was depressed because of his situation and the nightmares but he kept quite.

Lord Elrond sighed, stood up and said "If you will not say then I cannot help, young one" he started to walk away when the young elf whispered 'Lindir' Lord Elrond turned back and sat back down "What was that?" he asked

"My name, its Lindir" Lindir said

Lord Elrond was surprised but happy by this. He ran his hand through Lindir's hair and said "Lindir means song bird, it is a very nice name"

Lindir must be losing his mind to telling Lord Elrond his real name, but right now he couldn't care "I keep having nightmares" he said

"Nightmares? I can make you a special tea that will help, if you wish" Lord Elrond offered

"Yes please" Lindir replied

Lord Elrond smiled at him and started to make the tea. He put the finished cup of tea on the side table and watched as Lindir began to drink it. The tea would help him sleep without any nightmares. It should also help him with any stress. Lord Elrond looked at Lindir's ankle and frowned. He didn't want to see the chain at all and his hand twitched because he wanted to remove it. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the tea cup was dropped onto the floor. The medicine had worked fast, Lindir was asleep already. Lord Elrond tucked him back into bed and left with a cloudy mind.

Before Lord Elrond could do anything else he was approached by a messenger "My Lord, the other rulers have arrived and are waiting for you in the council area"

"Very well, I will be there shortly" Lord Elrond said. When the messenger had left he rubbed his forehead in annoyance. He just wanted some time to relax, but duty called. He made his way to the council area. Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, King Thranduil, Legolas and a few of their advisors were all seated and talking amongst themselves when he arrived. He took his seat and greeted them all politely and in turn they greeted him.

During the meeting they discussed trades, politics and the dark forces that seemed to be growing. After discussing their usual business Thranduil brought up the subject of the thieves.

"How are things going with the recent attacks on travellers?" Thranduil asked

Lord Elrond cringed to himself and said "Glorfindel led my elite soldiers, my sons, Haldir, Orophin and Rumil to ambush the men and kill anyone involved. They were successful, however we do not know where their base of operations is and we fear there is more of them"

"What about this elven thief? We've heard rumours of an elf working with them, is it true?" Thranduil asked

Lord Elrond was reluctant to answer but he managed to "Yes it is true. He was captured during the ambush and brought back here"

"What have you done with him?" Lord Celeborn asked

"When he came here he was badly injured so I had him taken to the healing wing. He was healed and taken care of" Lord Elrond replied

"Was he not sent to the dungeons?" Legolas asked

Lord Elrond knew that someone was going to ask that. Without know the reason why Lindir was working with the men his answer was not going to make much sense. Before he could say anything Erestor answered the question.

"When he was brought here and healed, he woke up without us knowing at first and started to sneak around Rivendell. He stole food and drink and was looking for a way out of the valley. When we confronted him he tried to escape again. Every time he tried to escape are guards would stop him but get hurt in the process. We had drug him a lot, he is dangerous" Erestor explained

"If he is so dangerous why is he not in dungeons?" asked Celeborn

"Because he is a child my Lord" replied Rumil. Everybody looked at him in shock and made him wish he didn't say anything.

"Is that true?" asked Legolas

"Yes, which is why he was not sent to the dungeons. He was left in the healing wing with several guards. Unfortunately this did not deter his efforts to escape. We tried to convince him we were no threat and he would be safe in Rivendell but he would not listen. It was most unfortunate that we had to take some extreme measures. I had a chain made to be place around his ankle and fixed to the floor" Erestor said

Everyone seemed to be repulsed at such actions, even if they understood why it was done.

"How old is he and why is he with men?" asked Lady Galadriel

"He is ninety and he will not tell us why he was with working with men" Lord Elrond replied "However I do believe that may change soon. This morning he told me his name was Lindir" he said with a small amount of hope in his voice "Does this name ring a bell with anyone?" he asked

No one had heard of an elf called Lindir and as the meeting continued they were told everything that had happened with him.

"Is he still in the healing wing?" Lady Galadriel asked

"Yes, I have given him some tea to help him sleep. My Lady I would like you help-" before he could say what help he wanted Lady Galadriel already knew.

"I know what you want to ask and I will help" she said

"Thank you, my Lady" Lord Elrond said

"So about this elf, what is he like? Other than being dangerous and able to fight off so many elves at once" Legolas asked with interest

"Rumil" Lady Galadriel said

"Yes, my Lady?" he replied

"You know the answer" she asked

Rumil flushed red and said "Well he has pierced ears and a tattoo"

Again everybody looked at him in shock and Thranduil asked "The men mutilated him?"

"Well we're not sure, but mutilated or not they are quite nice" Rumil said

"He swears a lot" Elladan said

"Yeah. Doesn't have much of sense of humour either" Elrohir added

"Well this is quite odd but perhaps we should move on to more pressing issues, like if there are anymore thieves out there, what should we do about it?" Lord Celeborn said. The council talked more about the situation until the sun was high in the sky. The guests were shown to their usual rooms and left to rest, meanwhile Legolas had met up with Rumil and the twins.

"Was the fight against Lindir really that tough?" Legolas asked

"Yeah, he kept up with Glorfindel and he took so much damage" Elladan replied

"I've never seen anybody move like he did" Elrohir added

"His talent is wasted on the men, if only he would work with us" Elladan said

"Can I see him?" Legolas asked

"Lord Elrond did say he was asleep and my brothers are with the Lord and Lady right now, so we could go and see him" Rumil said

The four of them made their way to the healing wing with haste. Making sure the coast was clear they went in.

"Here he is" Rumil said

Legolas looked at the sleeping elf and was still surprised when he saw how young he was. The next thing he noticed was the earrings. He reached out and touched them causing Lindir to twitch. He pulled his hand away and said "Those must have hurt"

"He hasn't told us if they did, but they do look nice" Rumil said

Legolas agreed they did look nice but he wondered if he was forced to have them put in. The next thing he saw was the chain on the floor. He looked at it grimly and got an unsettling feeling in his stomach "We should go before he wakes up and we get caught" he said.

Not wanting to get in trouble they agreed with him and left. The four of them made their way to the training grounds to catch up and practice on their skills.

Meanwhile Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel were discussing what to do with Lindir.

"If you could look into his mind and find out the truth maybe he would open up to us" Lord Elrond said

"No one likes their privacy to be invaded. He will not like this idea of yours" Lady Galadriel said

"I know, but I want him to trust us" Lord Elrond replied

"This is not the way to gain someone's trust" Lady Galadriel told him

"I know. This is a highly complicated situation and I just want Lindir to understand that he doesn't have to run away from us or steal again" Lord Elrond sighed "He could have a good life here. A new beginning. I want him to see that"

"And for that to happen he must trust you. I will help you Elrond but I cannot guarantee the results you want" Lady Galadriel said

"Thank you my Lady" Lord Elrond replied

Meanwhile as Lindir slept he started to dream of a familiar friend. Lindir was walking in a forest when he hear a voice call out to him.

"Lindir..." a voice whispered "Lindir, lad talk to me" the voice said again.

He looked around out found Furrex smiling at him "Furrex is that you?"

"Aye kiddo" he replied

"But you died a long time ago" Lindir said sadly

"Aye I did, but you never forgot me, did you?" Furrex said

"No, I never..." Lindir said as tears clouded his vision "He ran towards Furrex and wrapped his arms around him and cried.

"Shhh lad" Furrex said and comforted him "Lindir listen to me I want you to stay in Rivendell" he said

"What! Why?" Lindir questioned

"Because it's safe and it's time you started a new life, a better life" Furrex said

Lindir wiped his eyes and said "This is just a dream, this is not real"

"Isn't it? How do you know I'm not giving you this message from beyond the grave" Furrex said

Lindir was shocked by this and thought that maybe it could be true "Why should I stay with these people?" he asked

"Because they will help you. You were never meant to be a thief lad. I've always tried to do the best I could for you but I knew I couldn't. I was a human Lindir and a human has no right raising an elf. But now you have a chance to start over and be an elf again. Stay and let this Lord Elrond help you" Furrex explained before he faded away.

"Furrex, wait, WAIT!" Lindir screamed but Furrex was gone.

Lindir's eyes slowly fluttered open and he regained his bearings. He wasn't sure how long he had slept but he felt better. Remembering what Furrex told him in his dream he wondered if it really was a message from the dead and wondered if he should follow his advice. Stay in Rivendell? It was a very big choice to make. The life style here was different, the elves here didn't like him and he was afraid of being alone. What should he do?

**Next chapter Lindir meets the Lady of Light.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next morning Lindir woke up feeling more refreshed, that tea had done its job. He sat up noticing that he was alone and sighed. He looked towards the window and felt a cool breeze. He felt dizzy when he stood up but still tried to get to window. The chain prevented him from reaching the window and he felt discouraged from even trying. Being trapped in the healing room made him appreciate what freedom was. He missed the wind in his face. He missed the smell of grass, soil and flowers. He missed being able to sing when he was alone. But most of all he missed the sky, the rainbow of colours during dawn and dusk, the countless stars during the night. He sat back down on the bed and wondered how much longer this was going to go on.

The Lady Galadriel was keen on meeting the elven thief know as Lindir. She was being taken to the healing wing by Lord Elrond, his sons, Erestor, Haldir, Orophin and Rumil. She didn't think so many elves were necessary but Haldir was persistent on protecting her. The group of elves entered the healing wing and found Lindir sitting on his bed. The Lady Galadriel could sense Lindir's tension as soon as she walked in, he was going to make a fooling decision.

Lindir didn't face the elves right away, he only turned around when he felt a strange burning sensation on his neck, like he was being judged. He turn to see a tall beautiful female elf, she was the fairest elf he had even seen. He was enchanted immediately. But who was she?

The Lady Galadriel could hear Lindir thoughts and smiled. He may act like an adult but he still had a child's curiosity. She stepped forward and said "Hello Lindir. I am the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien"

 _'Lady Galadriel? Lothlorien?'_ Lindir thought and then remembered the stories about her "The witch of the woods!" he said and stepped away from her.

"The lady Galadriel is no witch, you little brat" Haldir said in her defence "She is-" before he could continue Lady Galadriel stopped him.

"Enough Haldir" she said

Haldir stepped back reluctantly and said "Yes, my Lady"

"Why are you here witch?" Lindir asked. When he saw her getting closer to him he took a defensive stance "Don't come any closer" he warned

The Lady Galadriel knew Lindir was doing this out of fear, she knew what rumours he had heard and could sense his fear "You have no need to be afraid Lindir, I'm here to help you" she said

"Help me? How?" Lindir asked suspiciously

"I will look into your mind and look see into your past" she replied

 _'Look into my mind? See into my past?'_ Lindir wondered how she was going to do that and made the assumption that see was going to cast a dark spell on him "Don't you dare. My mind is my own, you have not right to enter" Lindir said.

"I will help you Lindir" Lady Galadriel said again and started to walk towards him.

Lindir felt his heart beat faster as she stepped closer. He wanted to run but he couldn't thanks to that blasted chain. The next thing he could think of was threatening her "If you come any closer I'll hit you" he warned

The Lady Galadriel smiled and said "You've never hit a woman in your life Lindir, you do not have the heart and you will not hurt me"

Lindir pressed himself up against the wall as Galadriel got closer. He cringed and covered his face defensively when she went to touch him.

Lady Galadriel placed a hand on Lindir's head and saw into his mind. She saw his life as a child, the orcs that attacked his home, his mother's last words, meeting the human thieves, becoming the greatest thief, watching his new family die and then the suffering at the hands of the new king of thieves. Lady Galadriel had seen enough, she released Lindir from her spell and caught him when he slumped forward.

Lindir felt dizzy and was glad when he was laid back down on the bed. He wasn't sure what was happening around him anymore. He heard people talking but couldn't understand them. He shut his eyes and tried to calm himself down. He wondered just what the witch of the woods had seen.

"He will be fine. I have the information you need Elrond, come" she said leaving with everyone else.

All of the council were gathered and waiting to hear the information Lady Galadriel had gained.

"So, my lady, what can you tell us about Lindir?" Lord Elrond asked

"He has had a hard life Elrond. Orcs attacked his home when he was young and he is the last survivor. He was found by a human thief named Furrex, he took pity on Lindir and took care of him. Lindir loved Furrex like a father and was saddened when he succumbed to aging. Years later Lindir joined with a man calling himself the new king of thieves. He didn't want to but he had no other options and suffered a lot by this man's hands" she explained "He is not a bad person, he has just been misguided. I see a lot of potential in him, even if he cannot see it himself. He wants to stay here but he is afraid of letting his guard down" she added

Lord Elrond hummed in thought and said "That does explain a lot"

"What about the king of thieves? Do you know where he is?" Erestor asked

"I do, however I think might be beneficial if Lindir told us himself. I have a way of achieving this" Galadriel said

"If you feel like it will help him, then I trust your judgement, my Lady" Lord Elrond said. As the discussion continued Lindir started to regain consciousness.

As Lindir lay in bed he wondered what the other elves were doing. He wondered if they were talking about his fate now that they didn't need any information from him. He had come to the conclusion when he was first brought to Rivendell that the only reason he was being kept alive was because he had information that the elves needed. But now they had taken that information by force he was useless to them. He had no doubt in his mind that he was going to killed. He didn't know how elves executed their prisoners, he just hoped that it would painless.

A few hours later and Lord Elrond went back to the healing wing to speak with Lindir. He found Lindir sitting on the edge of the bed looking gloomy. He sat next to him and asked "How are you feeling?" when he did receive a reply he asked "Do you want me to make you some tea?" again Lindir did not reply.

Lindir couldn't understand why Lord Elrond was still being civil with him and it pissed him off "Why am I still here? Why don't you just kill me already?" he asked

Lord Elrond stiffened and sternly stated "I am not going to kill you Lindir nobody is, that I promise"

"But why? I don't understand. I'm a criminal and people like me should be killed. You took the information you needed from me, I am no use to you now" Lindir said

"I can understand why you are thinking like that but it is not true. No one will kill you Lindir" Lord Elrond told him. He placed his hand on Lindir's head to give him some comfort "I want to offer you a new home, a new chance at life, here in Rivendell. You will no longer need to be a thief and we can teach you how to be an elf" he offered

Lindir felt his body go stiff and his mind go blank. He felt tears start to form in his eyes and his hands started to shake. Lindir had always dreamed of starting a new life as a normal elf. He could barely remember the things he had been taught about his own kind. But he still couldn't understand why he was being given this chance "Why? Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked.

"Because you are still young, still a child. You need the comforts of a good home and the guidance of adults like any child. I want you to stay in Rivendell" Lord Elrond explained

Lindir couldn't take it anymore. The tears fell from his eyes like a dam had burst and he cried.

Lord Elrond pulled Lindir into his chest and cradled him like he would have done his own children.

When Lindir was pulled into the warmth of Lord Elrond's chest he chose to embrace it.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that but after a while they both felt a bit better.

"Can I really stay?" Lindir asked

"Of course" Lord Elrond replied with a smile "Lindir I know you've been through a lot but perhaps now we could work on trust" he said

"Trust?" Lindir questioned

"I want you to tell me where the king of thieves is hiding and in exchange I will remove the chain from your ankle" Lord Elrond said

Lindir pushed away from Lord Elrond's chest and looked at him suspiciously. He wondered if this was some sort of trick or trap but at the same time he wanted to tell him "Remove the chain first" Lindir said

"Pardon?" Lord Elrond said questioningly

"If you want me to trust you then remove the chain first, I promise I won't run and I'll tell you" Lindir said

Lord Elrond was sceptical even though he had just talked about trusting each other. He couldn't rely on Lindir's words alone, there was still a chance he could run, but he did want his trust "Very well, however we are talking about trust here if you run away and are brought back to me I will be very disappointed in you" he said

Lindir wasn't sure why but that statement upset him slightly.

Lord Elrond placed his hands on the chain around and used magic to remove it.

To Lindir's surprise the chain hit the floor with a clatter without the use of a key "H-How did you do that?" Lindir asked

"That chain was locked with magic, so I used magic to unlock it" Lord Elrond said

"Magic?" Lindir had been told that elves could do magic but he had never seen it done before.

"You seem excited perhaps you could learn magic while you are here" Lord Elrond offered

That did sound interesting to Lindir.

"Now will you tell me about the king of thieves?" Lord Elrond asked

"...Yes. You will find the king of thieves hideout in the forest west of the waterfall. There is a secret entrance under a false rock, it's the only rock without any moss on it" Lindir said. He couldn't believe he had just done that, he had...betrayed those men, he had never betrayed anyone before.

"I see. Thank you Lindir, I hope that this will be the foundation of building friendship" Lord Elrond said smiling "What else can you tell me about this hideout?" he asked

Lindir knew the ins and outs of the human hideout and he was prepared to tell Lord Elrond everything.

**Next chapter: Attack on the king of thieves and Lindir meets more elves.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

**If you want to know what I think Lindir sounds like when he sings then listen to: The fall of Gil-Galad by karin uri on YouTube.**

When Lindir had told Lord Elrond everything about the human thieves, their hideout, their strength and numbers Lord Elrond told the council and his warriors. Lindir had told him best way to attack them and how to disarm their traps. Lord Elrond and the other rulers had prepared their best warriors for the assault.

"Are you ready Glorfindel?" Lord Elrond asked

"Yes, my Lord, the troops are ready" Glorfindel replied

"Very well, we'll wait for the other to finish" Lord Elrond said

Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had prepared Haldir, Orophin, Rumil and a few of their troops to join Lord Elrond's troops in the attack against the men. King Thranduil had prepared his son and some of his warriors to fight along with the others. When all of the troops were ready they set out to attack the men.

Lindir watched from the rooftop as troops from each of the elven Kingdoms left Rivendell to attack the men. As he watched them leave he didn't feel any guilt or regret. He didn't like the men had spent the past eleven years with and the so called king needed to be dethroned. When he could no longer see any of the troops he went back inside the healing room.

The elven troops eventual found all of the entrances to the thieves hideout and prepared themselves. Glorfindel ordered the troops from Lothlorien to disarm the traps while the Rivendell troops would attack from behind. The troops from Mirkwood would stay outside in the trees and attack anyone who tried to run.

The elves attacked in the early hours of the morning when most of the men would still be sleeping, like Lindir said. Glorfindel gave the order's and the elves attacked. The elves form Lothlorien disabled the alarms and traps, while Glorfindel and his troops killed the guards. Once all of the traps were gone and the guards were dead they made their way into the main chamber. They spread out into the many rooms and began the attack.

It quickly turned into chaos as men and elves fought to kill each other. The elves were the ones who were winning and when the men realised this they tried to run for it. As the men fled outside they were quickly picked off one by one by the Mirkwood elves hiding in the trees.

It only took about forty minutes to clear out the hideout. All of the men including the king were killed and all of the treasures were recovered. No elves were killed only a few had minor injuries and it was a victory for all of them. Glorfindel led the elves back to Rivendell to tell everyone the good news. When they returned home those that had injuries were sent to the healing wing and the rest were sent to the barracks to rest. Glorfindel, Legolas, Haldir, Orophin and Rumil went to the council area to tell the rulers how the mission went.

Lindir knew the elven army had returned and wanted to know what had happened. He snuck out of the healing room and went from roof to roof to spy on the council meeting. He careful placed himself out of sight and listened to what was being said.

"My Lords and Lady we have successfully cleared out the hideout of the men and even killed the king" Glorfindel said "We lost no soldiers and only a few had minimal injuries. We also managed to recover most of the treasures"

"Excellent news Glorfindel. I believe we will no longer have to worry about any attacks on the roads and the treasures can be returned to their rightful owners" Lord Elrond said "Tonight we shall celebrate" he said happily

The elves clapped each other on the shoulders for a job well done until the Lady Galadriel spoke "Do you wish to join us Lindir?" she asked looking onto the roof

Lindir ducked away and wondered how she could have known he was there. He didn't want to join and left quickly.

"My lady?" Lord Elrond said

"Lindir was on the roof, watching us just now, but now he has left" she replied

"Ah, I see. Well then better go and check on him. Erestor can you see to the party arrangements?" Lord Elrond said

"Yes, my Lord" Erestor replied

Lord Elrond and the Lady Galadriel made their way to the healing wing where Lindir was. Entering the room they found Lindir sitting on the bed reading a book.

"Hello Lindir" Lord Elrond said

Lindir put the book down and replied "Hello"

"Were you on the roof earlier Lindir?" Lord Elrond asked

"No" Lindir lied

"I could sense you" the Lady Galadriel said

"You didn't see me, so you have no proof" Lindir huffed

Lord Elrond was not very happy with this but dropped the subject "We are having a party to night, to celebrate are victory. There will be good food and drink. Do you wish to come? It may be a good opportunity for you to meet more people and may be make some friends. What do you say?" he asked

"No thank you" Lindir said

"Are you sure? There are a few people interested in meeting you and I know Rumil would like to talk to you again" Lord Elrond said trying to persuade Lindir to come with him.

"The few people interested in meeting me are probably the very same I robbed, they probably want to see me punished for my actions. I will not be going" Lindir said sternly crossing his arms.

This disappointed Lord Elrond but he wouldn't force Lindir "If you do not want to go then that is fine, the invitation is still open however" he said. After this he and Lady Galadriel left Lindir alone.

Lindir sighed and picked up the book he was reading. Truth be told he did want to go. A party sounded like fun and the food was a temptation but he couldn't face the people that would be there. He wouldn't be able to stand being looked at by so many strangers, he would feel very self conscious and uncomfortable. Lindir had realised years ago that he didn't do well in social situations, he was as people said shy, despite the way he acted and spoke most of the time.

That night the party was in full swing and most of Rivendell attended. There was music, food and wine aplenty. The soldiers were praised for a job well done and the rulers were praised for making the roads safe again.

Lindir could hear the party going on even from the healing wing. He looked out of the window and sighed. He wanted to join them but he was to afraid of what might happen if he did. He huffed angrily and scowled. He made a plan to go to the party but not be seen, he would just stay on the roofs again and watch. No one said he couldn't do that. He smirked to himself and made his way to the party. As he arrived he carefully crept closer and watched the elves down below. It was the best thing he had ever seen. The music was beautiful and food almost made him drool. Elves danced left and right in elegant robes and laughter rang out. Lindir smiled and watched silently.

The Lady Galadriel knew Lindir was on the roof again, she smiled but didn't say anything.

As the party continued Lindir felt his stomach growl he was hungry and the food was tempting. He wasn't going to show himself, he was however going to put his thieving skills to use. He stalked elves who turned their backs on their plates and swiped them. He returned the plates of course, but they were empty. The first thing he ate was some type of pastry, one bite made him want more. The next thing was some sort of lemon cake, he moaned softly at the taste. Next he pinched a bottle of wine, it was strong yet sweet.

As the night went on the elves at the party were becoming very disturbed at the mysterious disappearances of their food and drink. It didn't take long for the rulers to hear of it. Lady Galadriel was the one to calm them down.

"Do not worry, it is just Lindir" she said

"Lindir?" Lord Elrond said

"The thief! I should have known" Haldir said outraged

"Calm yourself Haldir, he was just curious about the party and too shy to show himself" Lady Galadriel said

"So this thief is still here?" Thranduil asked

Lindir could hear them talking about him and decided it was time to leave. He left quickly and quietly and went back to the healing wing.

"Lindir has just left" Lady Galadriel said

"Has he? Pity I would have liked to have asked him to stay" Lord Elrond said

"Don't you think you are being a bit soft of him, my Lord?" Haldir asked

"Come now Haldir, he has been through a lot lately" Lady Galadriel said

Haldir scowled slightly but obeyed her "Yes my Lady"

"So is this thief shy?" Thranduil asked

"It would seem so" Lord Elrond chuckled

The party went back to normal and the elves continued to celebrate, Haldir however was the only one not enjoying himself. He didn't like how lenient they rulers were being with the thief. He had stolen right in front of their eyes and they were going to do nothing. Sure he had felt sorry for him when he was chained up but still he felt like someone should do something and if the rulers weren't, he was. He would find Lindir and give him a stern talking to. He left the party before anyone noticed and went to the healing wing. When he arrived he was about to enter the healing room when he heard something beautiful.

When Lindir returned to the healing wing he felt...happy. He was happy he had seen such a fun night, listened to such beautiful music and tasted such great food and wine. He hadn't felt so good in years, it fact it made him want to sing like he used to. He started to hum but eventual started to sing the lyrics to The fall of Gil-Galad. After Lindir finished the song he felt a lot better, he had not sung like that in years.

Haldir who was standing outside had heard the whole song and was very surprised at such a beautiful voice. It was as smooth as silk and as sweet as honey. He didn't feel angry at Lindir anymore and decided to leave him alone. He went back to the party with Lindir's song stuck in his head.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next morning Lindir was woken up by Erestor opening the curtains and letting the morning light flood the room. Lindir groaned and pulled the covers over his head, he was not a morning elf.

"Come Lindir time to wake up, today is a very special day for you" Erestor said

 _'Special day?'_ Lindir wondered what Erestor could mean, it wasn't his birthday. He sat up groggily and asked "What's so special about today?"

"Today you will meet with the other rulers of the Kingdoms and we will start your training" Erestor replied

"Training? What training?" Lindir asked yawning

"Your elven training" Erestor replied

"And that is?" Lindir asked confused

Erestor sighed and said "It is a form of rehabilitation. You've spent much of your life with men and have obviously forgotten what is means to be an elf. So starting today we will start to teach you the basics of being an elf, so you can function in our society. We've had some nice new clothes and shoes made for you and a hair tie if you want it, here" Erestor put the clothing on the side and said "Let me know when you are dressed and we can begin the day" he left the room to give Lindir some privacy.

Lindir looked at the clothes and scrunched up his nose at them. They were dark green leggings, a lighter green tunic with a few leafy patterns and brown boots, it was a strange style. Lindir sighed loudly and rubbed his face, he didn't want to wake up yet nor did he want to do this so called training. He didn't recall asking anyone for this training or being told about them before, how annoying.

Lindir flung the covers off himself in a huff and got dressed. The clothing material felt very nice and soft but the style was very strange compared to what he was used to, he did his hair in one simple plait and tied it at the bottom, he didn't care for fancy braids. He left the healing wing and found Erestor waiting for him.

Erestor smiled when he saw Lindir wearing the clothing and said "You look very nice Lindir" he was a little bemused when Lindir didn't reply or look at him "Come, Lord Elrond is waiting, we are to eat breakfast with him" he said and led Lindir to the balcony where breakfast was being served.

As Lindir followed Erestor he looked at the surroundings as he did. He had to admit Rivendell was a beautiful and interesting place, although he wished it was less like a maze and more straight forward. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Erestor greeting Lord Elrond. He looked forward and felt his face start to burn with embarrassment. Not only was Lord Elrond sitting at the table but so were the other rulers and many of their council, guards and some of the elves Lindir had helped rob. He kept his emotions to himself so no one could see but inside he was feeling angry and fear. He thought he had been tricked by Erestor and was brought here to pay for his actions, but was surprised when Lord Elrond greeted him warmly.

"Good morning Lindir, I'm glad you could join us today" Lord Elrond said smiling. He stood up and walked up to Lindir "You look nice in Rivendell clothing and an interesting hair style"

"Thank you, but why am I here?" Lindir asked

"Did Erestor not tell you?" Lord Elrond said confused

"I told him about his training and meeting the rulers today" Erestor replied

"You didn't say I would be meeting them right now" Lindir hissed

"Now, now Lindir. You are welcome to come and join us for breakfast, we only wish to talk to you about your training" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir clenched his fist and calmed himself down "Fine then" he said.

"Good, come then, you can sit next my sons" Lord Elrond said guiding Lindir to the table.

Lindir avoided all eye contact with everyone. He knew he was being watched by everyone and tried to remain calm. He sat down next to one of Lord Elrond's sons, he wasn't sure which one but he didn't really care. A plate was put in front of him by a servant along with a drink. The plate had various fruit and nuts with some sort of cream and a sweet smelling drink.

"So this is the thief" Thranduil said

The words sent spikes of heat through Lindir's body and he wondered if he should make a run for it.

"This is Lindir, Thranduil" Lord Elrond said emphasising Lindir's name.

"Of course" Thranduil said

"I think it's nice to finally meet you in person Lindir, we've heard so much about you" Lord Celeborn said

 _'Yes I'm sure you have'_ Lindir thought sarcastically. After all the trouble he had caused he knew what they had probably heard.

"I was surprised when I heard how many elves you could defeat, including Glorfindel and Lothlorien's top fighters, most impressive" Lord Celeborn continued

Lindir put a blueberry in his mouth and said nothing, he still wouldn't look at anyone. Breakfast was quickly becoming more and more awkward.

"You have some interesting body modifications" Thranduil pointed out "Did the men force you to have them?" he asked

"Enough Thranduil" Lord Elrond warned "You do not have to answer Lindir" he said to Lindir.

Lindir wasn't going to say anything but he was annoyed about why elves thought they were bad. He looked at Thranduil and said "I designed them myself. I don't understand why that's such a problem, what is wrong with my earrings and tattoo?"

"Tattoo? You mutilate your body further with body ink, like a dwarf" Thranduil scoffed

"Enough Thranduil! We are trying to help him and I doubt saying things like that are helping" Lord Elrond said.

"What do dwarves have to do with this? I still don't see what is wrong with them" Lindir said

It was Lord Celeborn who decided to clear things up "We Elves do not modify are bodies Lindir, we are happy with what the Valar have given us. Unlike Dwarves and men who casually add metal and ink to their bodies whenever they want them" he explained

"Which is why you think I was forced to get them?" Lindir asked

"None of us have ever met an elf with earrings or tattoo's" Lord Celeborn said

"And when I showed up with both you thought I didn't get them willingly" Lindir said

"Yes" Celeborn replied

"Well I did get them willingly, because I wanted them" Lindir said sternly

"But didn't they hurt?" Elladan asked

"Yeah were they painful?" Elrohir asked

Lindir rolled his eyes and said "Yes, very and I bled a lot"

"Can you take them out?" Elrohir asked

Lindir reached for his earring and undid the backings. He took off his earring and showed it to the twins.

The twins looked at the earring in shock and Elrohir said "You've got holes in your ear"

"Of course, there's no other way to pierce ears than to pierce them" Lindir said

"How do they do it?" Elladan asked

"Well, first they clean your ears with hot water and salt. Then they take a long thin piece of metal and stab it through the ear to make a hole or three in my case. Then they take the jewellery, put it in and put on the backings so they don't fall out. Simple" Lindir explained

The elves at the table looked horrified at the very idea of such a thing but to Lindir it was nothing.

"What about tattoo's how do they do that?" Elrohir asked

"Well they clean the area in warm salt water. Then they draw they outline of the design before doing it for real so they can make changes or correct any mistakes. Then they take a piece of wood that has several sharp needles at the end and dip it in the ink. Then they continually stab you with it until the outline is done and then repeat for the colour and the shading" Lindir explained

Everyone at the table seemed to pale and stopped eating. Lindir didn't care if he freaked them out or made them loose their appetite, it was a bit amusing and it was their fault for asking.

"T-That sounds really painful" Elladan stuttered

"Not really, it just felt like someone scratching at your skin. The piercing was worse" Lindir shrugged

"I couldn't sit through that" Elrohir said

"Humph pussy" Lindir said sipping his drink

"What did you just call me?" Elrohir asked

"Nothing" Lindir dismissed playfully

"That is enough you three" Lord Elrond said "I think we should continue eating, we have much to do today"

Lindir, Elladan and Elrohir did as Lord Elrond said and continued eating until everyone had, had enough and they began the day.

Lord Elrond walked with Lindir and explained to him what he would be doing that day "I've decided to give you a full tour of Rivendell , I will show you where you will be taking your classes and introduce you to your teachers"

"Classes? Teachers? I have to go to school?" Lindir asked surprised

"Yes, you will need to learn to read and write" Lord Elrond replied

"I can read and write just fine" Lindir said defensively

"In Sindarin?" Lord Elrond asked

Lindir's defence dropped as he replied "...No"

"I thought so. You will also need to learn history and math, how to speak Sindarin, basic mannerisms, diplomacy-" Lord Elrond was going to continue but Lindir stopped him.

"Let's just say there's a lot and move on, shall we?" Lindir said impatiently

Lord Elrond was a little taken back but he supposed he was rambling a little bit too much "Very well. Here is the first class" he said and showed Lindir inside "This is where you will learn to write and speak Sindarin"

Lindir looked around the room and found it was sort of cosy but simple. White, everywhere was white. The walls, the floor, the ceiling the only thing that had any colour was the brown furniture and many colourful books.

"And this is your teacher" Lord Elrond said as the male elf stepped forward "This is Handion but during class you will call him sir" he explained to Lindir. Lord Elrond looked to Handion and said "Handion this is Lindir he will be joining your classes soon"

Handing Looked at Lindir like he was judging him "Ah yes, I've heard of him. You have a lot to catch up on but don't worry I have plenty of notes for you to study in your own free time"      

"Alright" was all Lindir could say. This teacher held himself high, he wasn't sure what else to say to him.

"I see I will have to increase vocabulary as well" Handion said

Lindir felt like he was being mocked and was about to say something when Lord Elrond thanked Handion and escorted him out. Lindir was being ushered into the next room which looked exactly like the last one, how boring.

"This is where you will learn maths and history, this is your teacher Carandol. Carandol this is Lindir he will be joining you soon" Lord Elrond said

Carandol stepped forward with a small smile on his face and said "I see, tell me do you know much about our history?" he asked

"No" Lindir replied

"What about math?" Carandol asked

"My math is ok, I guess" Lindir replied a bit unsure himself

"Ah excellent, you'll be enough reason for me to go over everything we done so far. I look forward to seeing you" Carandol said happily.

"Wonderful we will see you next time, good bye" Lord Elrond said and ushered Lindir back outside.

"What was that about? Why was he so excited?" Lindir asked in confusion.

Lord Elrond chuckled and said "Don't worry about Carandol he's a little bit excited about getting a new student, it give him a reason to tell everyone about Elvish history again. He's always had a passion about history you see and will use anything as an excuse to tell anybody about it"

Lindir didn't fully understand but if it was this persons passion then he hoped they wouldn't be boring. Lindir was taken to several identical rooms and introduced to more teachers. He wondered why there were so many instead of just one, it was a little irritating.

Before Lord Elrond could go on to the next area Glorfindel approached him "Hello Glorfindel, back from your patrols?" he greeted

"Greetings my Lord, patrols have gone well as predicted. Without those thieving men around the roads are safe again" Glorfindel replied. He immediately regretted his words when he noticed Lindir "H-Hello Lindir, are you getting a tour today?" he asked changing the subject.

"Yes, Lord Elrond says I need to learn things by going to classes and listening to people talk" Lindir replied bored.

"Ah school, I remember my time at school, it was a lot time ago now though" Glorfindel said trying to keep his cool "Oh but I just remembered why I'm here. My Lord you are needed in your office, there are two elven merchants arguing about who is getting first trades with you and none of them wish to talk it over normally"

"Where is Erestor?" Lord Elrond asked

"He is in your office but none of them wish to talk to him, they want to talk to you" Glorfindel replied

Lord Elrond sighed and said "Very well I will sort this out as quickly as possible. Glorfindel could you take care of Lindir, while I'm gone?"

"Yes sir, I'll show him around for a bit and meet you for dinner later" Glorfindel said smiling

"Thank you. Lindir stay with Glorfindel please, I will see you later" Lord Elrond said and left

"So Lindir where has Lord Elrond shown you so far?" Glorfindel asked

"To several rooms that all look the same" Lindir replied

Glorfindel hummed in thought and said "Yeah those class rooms are quite plain, aren't they? Tell you what how about I show you the barracks and the training grounds?"

"Alright" Lindir said, it sounded much better than being here.

"Good, let's go then" Glorfindel said and led Lindir away from the class rooms.

It didn't take long for Glorfindel and Lindir to arrive at the training fields where there was already plenty of elves training.

"Well what do you think?" Glorfindel asked proudly

Lindir wasn't sure what to think. The way Glorfindel talked about the training fields made Lindir believe that they were spectacular in some way, but they were just normal. Targets and weapon holders seemed normal too "It's fine" he said.

"Fine? Just fine? Just wait until I show you how it's done" Glorfindel boasted. He sat Lindir down on a bench where other elves where talking with each other. He greeted them and said that he was going to train with them today. The other elves seemed to light up in excitement.

"Who is this?" one asked pointing to Lindir

"This is Lindir and he will be watching us today" Glorfindel replied

"The thief?" another questioned

Lindir stiffened at the almost spiteful tone.

"Enough, I will not have any mentions of such things. Now let the training begin" Glorfindel said drawing his sword.

Lindir watched as elves clashed and shot at targets until he found himself becoming bored. He wanted to join in and be active, so when Glorfindel came back he asked him "May I practice with you?"

Glorfindel pressed his lips in a thin line and said "I'm sorry but you can't"

"Why not?" Lindir asked irritated

"Because you are too young. You have to be of age to use the training fields" Glorfindel replied

"But you've seen my skills, you know I can fight" Lindir protested

"I know you have skills, but we have rules here and I have to enforce them" Glorfindel said

Lindir was pissed at the idea and said "Then there no point in being here, I'm leaving"

"Wait there's no need to leave, you can still watch" Glorfindel said

"I'm bored watching" Lindir almost spat

"Is are training not good enough for you?" an elf said to Lindir

Lindir rolled his eyes and said "Your training is fine, Glorfindel said he would take me to the barracks"

"That's right, I will see you all next time" Glorfindel said leading Lindir away. Entering the barracks Glorfindel was glad they were empty.

Lindir was a bit surprised at how clean and well kept the barracks were. Boots were nicely lined up, clothing and weapons were laid out neatly, it didn't look to bad. Looking at the clothing and weapons Lindir remembered about his weapons and clothing. He looked at Glorfindel and asked "What happened to my clothing and weapons when I was captured?"

"We found most of your weapons and brought them back with us. Your clothing and mask were taken away when you were sent to the healing wing" Glorfindel replied.

"And they are?" Lindir said wanting to know their location

"They have been cleaned and put away safely, don't worry" Glorfindel said

"Can I have them back?" Lindir asked annoyed

"No" Glorfindel said

"Why not?" Lindir hissed

"Lord Elrond's orders and even though you can use them we can't have a child carrying weapons" Glorfindel said. He was a little bit regretful about telling Lindir this, but somebody had to.

Lindir baled his fist in anger and stomped his foot "Fuck this!" he said in anger and stormed out. Glorfindel followed him and tried to stop him. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, Lindir grabbed it and flung Glorfindel over his shoulders. While Glorfindel was on the ground out of breath Lindir took his chance to run.

"Li-Lindir wait" Glorfindel said trying to get up but Lindir was already gone.

Lindir left and jumped into the trees. He jumped from branch to branch until he came to what appeared to be a garden. He noticed it was empty and decided to spend some time there alone. He jumped down from the tree and sprawled himself out on the grass. He breathed in the fresh air and smiled to himself. This was what he wanted, solitude and silence. He looked at the small flowers, daisy's he remembered, and started to make a flower chain to pass the time.

Glorfindel knew he was going to be in big trouble with Lord Elrond if he couldn't find Lindir before dinner. He searched the training grounds and found nothing. He went to the class rooms and couldn't find him. When he ran down the corridor he accidentally bumped into Haldir, Orophin, Rumil and Legolas.

"Glorfindel? You seem like you're in a rush, what's wrong?" Haldir asked

Glorfindel knew he shouldn't tell them what had happened but maybe they could help him find Lindir "I can't find Lindir" he said.

"Can't find Lindir? I thought he was with Lord Elrond. Why is he with you?" Orophin asked

"Lord Elrond had some things he needed to take care of and left Lindir with me. I was showing Lindir the barracks when he ran off. If I don't find him before dinner Lord Elrond is going to kill me, please you have to help me" Glorfindel begged

The four elves agreed to help their friend and started to search. They split up into groups Haldir and Orophin went west, Glorfindel went north and Rumil and Legolas went south. Two hours went by and none of them had found anything.  

"You don't think he has left Rivendell completely do you?" Legolas asked

"I don't think so" Rumil replied "Should we check some of the gardens?" he asked

"Yes" Legolas agreed and followed Rumil to the gardens.

Rumil and Legolas searched four gardens before finally coming across Lindir's familiar figure. They towards him and called out his name.

Lindir was surprised when someone called his name and he saw two blonde elves coming towards him. He scowled and turned away, he was going to ignore them.

"Lindir, we've been looking for you everywhere. Glorfindel's been worried sick" Haldir said

Lindir continued to ignore them and kept making his daisy chain.

Legolas hadn't had much time with Lindir but he didn't like the fact that he was being ignored on purpose. He stepped closet to him and said "Lindir we have been looking for the past two hours, I think you come back with us"

Lindir said nothing and continued with his chain.

"Why are you ignoring us" Rumil asked sitting down in front of him.

Lindir looked at him and said "Because I don't care and I don't care if you're worried about me, piss off"

Rumil was a bit taken back and upset by this he just wanted to help "Please come back with us" he said nicely.

"No" Lindir said sternly

"Why not?" Legolas said annoyed as he sat next to Rumil.

"Because I don't care" Lindir replied

"That's not a valid excuse. Just because you don't care doesn't mean we don't, now let's go before dinner" Legolas said

"Why before dinner?" Lindir asked curiously

"Because that's when Glorfindel promised to take you back to Lord Elrond and if he doesn't he might get into trouble" Rumil answered

"Still don't care" Lindir said brushing off their worries

"But why?" Rumil asked almost whining

"If it bothers you that much why don't you tell Glorfindel I'm fine, so he doesn't worry" Lindir said

"No, we have to get you back before dinner" Legolas insisted

Lindir sighed in annoyance and said "Fine, I'll go back when dinner is ready, not before"

It was better than nothing, Rumil and Legolas knew this and they would not force Lindir to go back. They had no choice but to sit and wait until Lindir went back. Rumil looked at the pile of flowers Lindir had gathered and noticed he was make a head garland. He reached out to picked up some of the flowers only to have his hand swatted away by Lindir.

"Get your own" Lindir snapped

Rumil was a little bit shocked but did what Lindir said and picked some of his own. Defeated Legolas followed suit and started to make his own flower chain, all of them forgetting poor Glorfindel.

"I was at breakfast when you told the twins how you got your earrings and tattoo. Did the tattoo really not hurt?" Legolas asked

"It stung like a scratch that's it" Lindir replied. No more words passed between the three and they continued with their flower garlands.

When a few hours had passed Rumil said that dinner had started and that they should head back to meet with Lord Elrond. Surprisingly Lindir agreed and went with them. Rumil noticed that Lindir had left his garland and picked it up "Lindir you're forgetting your garland"

Lindir glanced at it and said "You keep it, I don't care"

Rumil was surprised and wondered why Lindir had made it in the first place. He put it in his bag and went to dinner.

Glorfindel was ready to run out of Rivendell when he told Lord Elrond he couldn't find Lindir, if looks could kill he suspected he would be dead by now. Even though Haldir and Orophin were by his side he was pretty sure they were trembling under Lord Elrond's glare as well.

"Glorfindel how do you lose him?" Lord Elrond asked

"H-He just ran away" Glorfindel replied

"And you didn't go after him why?" Lord Elrond asked

"Because I winded him when I flipped him onto his back" Lindir said as he walk out of the shadows.

Glorfindel's shoulders slumped in relief when he saw that Lindir was unhurt and still in Rivendell.

"Lindir where have you been?" Lord Elrond asked

"In the garden" Lindir replied

"Why did you run from Glorfindel?" Lord Elrond asked

Lindir glanced at Glorfindel and said "He was boring"

"I see...Well in any case I'm glad you're here, come dinner is ready" Lord Elrond said guiding Lindir to the table.

Lindir took a seat and looked at the various foods laid out on the table. He had no clue what most of the food was. There was various vegetables and fruit, many green leaves and colourful drinks. He did recognise some fruit and vegetables as well as rice, noodles, bread, eggs and cheese but the rest was so foreign to him. He wasn't sure what was dinner and what was desert.

"Lindir, are you alright?" Lady Galadriel asked. She knew what was wrong with him and wanted to help.

Lindir didn't look at her and lied "I'm fine"

"You seem confused by the food, feel free to ask any of us about what is what" she offered

"I'm fine" Lindir said still not looking at her.

The Lady Galadriel smiled knowing why he wouldn't look at her. He still feared her mind reading ability, which was understandable.

"Lady Galadriel is right, if there is something here you are unsure of don't be afraid to ask" Lord Elrond said trying to reassure him.

Lindir looked away from him uneasy and embarrassed.

Sensing the tension and embarrassment from Lindir Lady Galadriel spoke to one of the servers and asked them make a plate of food for Lindir, with a bit of everything on it.

Lindir was a bit baffled when a plate full of food was placed in front of him. The delicious smell made his stomach rumble and his mouth water.

"There's a bit of everything for you, enjoy" Lady Galadriel said

Lindir glanced at her and said "Thank you" before looking away. As everyone began eating he gingerly picked up his cutlery, picked up some sort of small vegetable stuffed pastry roll and took a small bite of it. He chewed it and enjoyed it, it had a very unusual taste but it was nice. Next he tried some sort of vegetable covered in melted cheese. He could taste more cheese then the vegetable but again it was good. The rice was fluffy, the noodles were soft and the...wait a minute, why was his mouth burning? He wondered. As it turned out not all of the food was plain, some had hot spices on them, which Lindir hated. He kept a straight face and kept calm as he drank some fruit juice to get rid of the taste. After his mouth had cooled down he pushed the offending spice covered food to the side of his plate and tried something else.

Dinner continued normally and conversations were had while calm music played. Many of the staff and visiting elves occasionally glanced at Lindir. His earrings and poor table manners caught their attention quickly making him an oddity. When they left the area and were away from the listening ears of their Lords and Lady's they whispered to each other.

The servants maybe out of hearing range but the Lady Galadriel could sense everything around her. She was not happy with the atmosphere the servants were creating and was glad Lindir was currently oblivious to his surroundings, but was worried about what he would do if he found out. She had sensed his shy nature the moment she had met him, despite him acting very tough and worried about him withdrawing further into himself, instead of opening up.

"Lindir" Lord Elrond said getting his attention "Are you enjoying the meal?" he asked

Lindir swallowed the food he was chewing and said "Yes. I'm not sure what most of this is but it's good"

"Wonderful" Lord Elrond said. He was not surprised that Lindir didn't recognise food that was very common to elves. His time away from his own kind had robbed him of common elven knowledge.

"Why can't I have any wine?" Lindir asked seeing as he was the only one with fruit juice.

"Because you are under age and it is against the law to give alcohol to children" Lord Elrond replied

Lindir huffed like he had been insulted and protested "But I've drank stronger stuff before"

"I'm afraid that has to stop here I must start to enforce the rules with you, also we will have to have further discussions about this" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir clenched his teeth and looked away from him, all these rules were starting to suffocating him.

"What did you think about going to school?" Lord Elrond asked changing the subject.

"I don't know, I've never been, so I don't know what to think" Lindir replied

"Well school starts at eight in the morning and finishes at three. You'll learn many things you need to survive and get a job and most importantly you'll be able to make friends" Lord Elrond explained.

Lindir was horrified by this "We start at eight in the morning and finish at three!? That's seven hours!" he whined.

"Yes it is, but don't worry it won't feel that long and you do get regular breaks" Lord Elrond said

"Bullshit! What a waste of time, I could have better things to do" Lindir protested

Lindir's sudden outburst and swearing caused everyone at the table to stare at in horror.

"Come now Lindir, it is not that bad. You will need the lessons to live properly in Rivendell and don't you want to make some friends?" Lord Elrond said.

"No, I don't care for friendships. They make you soft and get in the way of progress, they're worthless. Now leave me alone, I'm done talking about it" Lindir huffed and shoved a cheese roll in his mouth.

The conversation had made everyone go quiet and stare with their mouths agape. Lord Elrond tried to salvage the situation by telling the musicians to continue playing but people were still shocked. The elves began to eat again but Thranduil didn't want to drop the subject.

"Will you not tell him off for speaking to you so disrespectfully?" Thranduil asked

"We will have to talk about it later" Lord Elrond said

"You are getting soft Elrond-ouch" Thranduil's sentence was interrupted when he felt a sharp pain on his right cheek. He saw Lindir smirking at him and knew he flicked something at his face "You little brat did you just-" again he was cut off when Lindir flicked a grape at his face "You need to go over some bodies knee" Thranduil hissed.

"Suck a horse dick" Lindir spat

Lord Elrond had heard enough, he stood up and put a stop to the argument "Thranduil enough, you are not a child and Lindir we do not flick food at people or use such profanity" he said.

"It's not my fault, all these rules and laws are irritating me" Lindir said

"Why are they irritating you? They are there for a reason and everybody has to follow them" Lord Elrond said

"Because I'm being treated like a child" Lindir said

"You are a child" Lord Elrond pointed out

"Physically yes, mentally no. You are taking away all my freedom, making me go to school and telling me what I can and can't do" Lindir argued

"You wanted to stay in Rivendell because you have nowhere else to go, you made this choice" Lord Elrond said.

"Yes I did, but I didn't think all of this would happen. I thought if I stayed here I would get to do what I wanted, do some chores to earn my keep and that was it" Lindir said

"Well you thought wrong. We have rules and laws and if you stay here you must obey them" Lord Elrond said

Lindir had heard enough he didn't have to sit here and listen to this drivel. He stood up and with one quick leap he jumped onto the wooden beams above the dinner table and jumped onto the roof.

"Lindir! Come back here" Lord Elrond said

Lindir heard Lord Elrond and he did come back but not because he was told to, no he just came back to swipe a whole bottle of wine "I'm going to drink all of this" he said ran away again.

"Should we go after him my Lord?" Haldir asked

Lord Elrond sighed and rubbed his forehead "No, leave him be. We'll have a serious talk about this tomorrow" he sat back down a took a large gulp of wine, he wondered if Lindir was serious about drinking that bottle of wine.

Lindir had found a nice secluded rooftop to calm down on. He had uncorked the wine and sipped it, it wasn't too bad but he had tasted better. He laid down and looked at the waxing moon. He heart ached and he felt like he had made a very foolish decision. Yelling and running away was something a child would do and stealing the wine probably didn't help. But it wasn't his fault he had no idea how elven society worked. He didn't know their daily lives or the rules they lived by and nobody had told him about them when he agreed t stay here, it was not his fault. It wasn't his fault...It wasn't his...Lindir felt tears sting his eyes and began to cry. Why did things have to turn out like this? He reached for the wine bottle and took several large gulps, he would probably have a hangover in the morning but he didn't care.

After the dreadful event at dinner Lord Elrond had left early to find Lindir. He went to the healing wing and found it was empty. He sighed and wondered if Lindir had already left Rivendell.

"Do not fear Elrond he is still in Rivendell" Lady Galadriel said

Lord Elrond turned around surprised, he had no idea she was there "He is still here?" he questioned

"Yes, he will not leave. He feels very remorseful about his actions" she said

"He does?" Lord Elrond asked

"Yes. You know you a partially at fault here. You should have given him time to adjust" she said

Lord Elrond knew this and regretted his own actions "I will have to apologise to him tomorrow and explain to him how Rivendell works. Perhaps it should just be the two of us over some tea" he said.

"I think that would be best" she smiled

Thranduil took Legolas back to his room to have a talk with his son "I do not want you near that elf, he will be a bad influence on you, do you understand Legolas?" Thranduil ordered.

"But Ada he's not that bad" Legolas replied

"Not that bad? Legolas he flicked food in my face and told me to-well let's not repeat such language shall we. Anyway I do not want you picking up such bad habits or language" Thranduil said

"Yes Ada" Legolas said defeated

Haldir, Orophin and Rumil had taken it upon themselves to search for Lindir for a little while. When they couldn't find him in the obvious places they came to the conclusion that he was hiding and decided to give up and went back to their rooms. Rumil sat on his bed and looked at the flower garland that Lindir had made, he wondered if Lindir had an interest in arts and crafts. Rumil hoped Lindir was alright.

Glorfindel and Erestor went back to their bedroom to spend a rare night together, no doubt Glorfindel would be on patrol and Erestor would be too busy to see each other the next day.

As these events went on the elves of Rivendell began to talk about the disasters that happened at dinner and as usual the conversations turned into nasty rumours about the wild elven thief, that insulted Lord Elrond and was currently roaming around Rivendell.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The sun felt warm on Lindir's skin but he didn't wake, his head hurt when he moved. He had a hangover he knew that much, but he couldn't remember much of what happened last night or where he had decided to camp out. He didn't open his eyes to look where he was instead he curled up and went back to sleep.

Lord Elrond had to ask the Lady Galadriel where Lindir was because he didn't know where to start looking. She had told him Lindir was on the roof and pointed to the one he was on. Lord Elrond asked Rumil to help him get Lindir down.

"My Lord Elrond?" Rumil said

"Yes Rumil?"

"Is Lindir in trouble?" Rumil asked

Lord Elrond sighed and said "No, I will need to talk to him but he is not in trouble"

"Alright" was all Rumil said. He climbed onto the roof and sure enough found Lindir sleeping, with an empty bottle of wine next to him. Rumil was slightly saddened by the sight, a child shouldn't drink his problems away. He approached Lindir and shook his shoulder until he began to stir.  

Lindir was annoyed when someone started to shake his shoulder, they wanted him to wake up obviously. With an annoyed groan he sat up and rubbed his throbbing head "What do you want?" he hissed.

"It's time to get up, also your on the roof you need to get down" Rumil said

"The roof?" Lindir questioned. He looked around and remembered climbing on the roof and drinking himself into a stupor.

"Are you alright Lindir?" Rumil asked

"I have a headache" Lindir replied

"I'll take you to the healers, Lord Elrond is waiting for you" Rumil said. He helped Lindir off the roof and took him to Lord Elrond.

"Lindir I'm glad to see you. Are you alright?" Lord Elrond asked

"He has a headache or more likely a hangover" Rumil said

"I see, well then let's get you taken care of shall we" Lord Elrond said

Lord Elrond and Rumil escorted Lindir to the healing wing, when they arrived Rumil was thanked and sent away by Lord Elrond. When Lord Elrond and Lindir entered the healing wing Lord Elrond told Lindir to sit on a bed while he made a drink to help with his hangover.

Lindir watched silently as Lord Elrond mixed different herbs into a teapot of hot water. He wondered how much trouble he was in and when Lord Elrond was going to yell at him.

"Here we go. Drink this you'll feel better" Lord Elrond said handing Lindir the cup.

Lindir took the cup and said "Thank you" he stared at the greenish liquid and wrinkled his nose. He took a small sip and almost gagged, it was very bitter but still drank it anyway. When the cup was empty he gave it back to Lord Elrond who put it in a sink "How much trouble am I in?" he asked. He was sick of waiting and wondering when the yelling or chastising was going to happen so he decided to ask and get it over with.

Lord Elrond sighed and replied "Not as much as you might think. What happened yesterday wasn't really your fault"

Lindir looked at him surprised and said "But I was rude and angry at everyone"

"Yes you were, but only because of me" Lord Elrond said. He sat next Lindir and continued "I'm sorry Lindir"

"For what?" Lindir asked confused

"For pushing you too far too soon. I should had given you some time to adjust to the elven way of life. I should have known from the beginning that you would need time to adjust and yet I thrust you into awkward situations. Talking about school, meeting the other rulers, the dinner party, the rules, I should have known you would have been uncomfortable. But most of all I should have understood that you would react badly to our rules about children. You've been forced to grow up far too soon and because of that you don't like been treated as child" Lord Elrond explained.

Lindir was glad Lord Elrond understood but very agitated that he never asked his about he felt about all of this in the first place "Why didn't you ask how I felt about all of this?" he asked.

"Because I wasn't thinking properly. All I thought about was giving you a better life, an education and for you to see what it means to be an elf and not a human thief" Lord Elrond replied sadly

"You were being a bit selfish, don't you think?" Lindir said

"Yes I suppose I was"

"You were. Although it was nice of you think like that, wanting me to be a normal elf, it was wrong of you to push so much pressure on to me, expecting me to just accept it and change in a day" Lindir said

"Indeed you are right and for that I am sorry" Lord Elrond said

Lindir sighed and said "I am sorry as well for acting so...well childish. I should not have run from Glorfindel or talked so rudely to others or caused a scene at the party"     

"Apology accepted, I promise I will not put you in situations like that again and I will ask from now on if you would like to attend such events" Lord Elrond said

"Thank you. Now about school and other things, I have never been to school, I don't know what it's like, what to expect or how I should behave. I will not attend school until I know these things. As for being more Elvish I think I will pick that up in time. As for making friends I'm not so sure that's possible for me yet, I'm too different and I don't think many people like me" Lindir said. He hoped Lord Elrond would understand his ground rules.

Lord Elrond knew Lindir was trying explain the reasons why he didn't want to start any lessons yet and why he became defensive around others "I understand. You do not have to start school just yet, it can wait a while longer. Being more elf cannot be learnt over night it will take a while but again such things can wait. As for making friends, why don't you try making friend's with Rumil, he seems like he wants to be your friend" Lord Elrond suggested.

Lindir wrinkled his nose unsurely and simply said "Maybe" he wasn't sure about the blonde elf because he had attacked him before and Lindir forced his guard up when he was around, even if it didn't look like it "Oh I just remembered something else. I will never give up my earrings or tattoo, they are a part of me and I don't care if anyone else disagrees with them" Lindir said sternly.

"That is fine with me" Lord Elrond replied

"Good. Also your apology is accepted as well" Lindir said shyly

"I'm glad. So what do you want to do today?" Lord Elrond asked

"I don't know" Lindir said before remembering he hadn't eaten yet "What's for breakfast?" he asked

"I'm not sure but we can go and found out" Lord Elrond said holding out his hand.

Lindir hesitantly took Lord Elrond's hand and let him be taken to an open balcony. He sat down in one of the seats as Lord Elrond spoke to a female elf. He heard him tell the elf to bring them some food and drink, she bowed and then left. Lord Elrond came to the table and sat in the bigger chair at the head of the table "What did you get?" he asked.

"I asked her to bring me double of my usual breakfast, so you may have some as well" Lord Elrond replied

"And your usual breakfast is?" Lindir asked

"Just some fruit yogurt, chopped banana, nuts and orange juice" Lord Elrond replied

"What's yogurt?" Lindir asked

Lord Elrond had to stop himself from making a sympathetic noise towards Lindir. Yogurt was a very common treat in Rivendell and was especially enjoyed by children. The fact that Lindir had never heard of it saddened him "Yogurt is a delicious treat, it is made from milk and can be used with various other foods, such as fruit and nuts. It can be thick or creamy, you'll find out when you try some" he explained.

Lindir wasn't sure how milk could be thick or creamy unless it had gone off but Lord Elrond seemed to enjoy it so maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

Not long after more servants came carrying trays of food and drink. Lord Elrond thanked them and they left "I hope you enjoy it Lindir" Lord Elrond said smiling.

Lindir looked at the food curiously and couldn't deny it looked good. He noticed the creamy looking milk and wondered if that was the yogurt. He picked up a spoon and scooped up a small amount, he slowly brought it to his lips and licked a small amount into his mouth. It was good, really good, creamy and rich.

Lord Elrond watched Lindir from the corner of his eye eating his breakfast with enthusiasm. It made him happy to see Lindir enjoy a small piece of what Rivendell had to offer. Lord Elrond was by no means a sneaky tactics type of elf but he wondered if good food was the way he could get Lindir to adjust to Rivendell life style. He had notice the way Lindir tucked into all the types of food at last night's party. He wouldn't resort to such tactics it was just a thought after all.

Half an hour later and both elves had finished eating and were now taking a walk around Rivendell. Lord Elrond had decided to let Lindir wonder around where ever he wanted to and explained things to him when he asked. Elrond felt his heart drop a little when they went to the library. He asked Lindir if there was anything he wanted to read only for Lindir to say he couldn't read any of them. Lord Elrond forgot that almost all of the books were in Sindarin. He offered to read something for him but Lindir denied his offer. Over all it was a quiet day for the two of them. Later that night the two of them met up with Elrohir and Elladan who suggested they go to the communal baths.

As the four of them made their way to the baths Lord Elrond explained to Lindir what communal baths were "It is where we go to bath together" he said.

"Men and women bath together?" Lindir questioned

"And children. It will be a good bonding experience for you Lindir" Lord Elrond said

"But don't you get embarrassed being naked around each other?" Lindir asked with slightly red cheeks.

"Of course not, maybe some might be, but most of us do not care about such things. We are all built the same way and we have nothing to be ashamed about" Lord Elrond said

Both Elladan and Elrohir grew matching mischievous smiles and Elladan said "What's wrong Lindir, never seen breasts before?" he asked.

Lindir spluttered and flushed redder "How dare you!"

"Elladan, Elrohir stop that. Don't be so rude about the female form" Lord Elrond chastised

"Sorry father" they both said

The four of them arrived at the communal bath and Lindir was surprised by how beautiful it was decorated. Plain white walls, floors and ceiling with some gold trimming. Mirrors and chairs lined up against the wall, complete with hair brushes, combs and face clothes on the side. Inside it smelt like a field of wild flowers, it made a small smile formed across Lindir's face. Lindir notice that men, women and children were all walking around completely nude. He turned his head away from the scene only to hear the twins snickering behind him.

"Come now Lindir it will be fine" Lord Elrond said guiding him in "You put your clothing in this basket here and the you wash yourself under the running water"

"You wash before getting into a bath?" Lindir said confused

"Yes, you need to wash away the dirt off your body before bathing with others, its common courtesy" Lord Elrond replied

"I understand now, nobody wants to bathe in filth" Lindir said

"Correct. Now this is your shampoo and conditioner and this is your body wash. We have many different types of fragrances to choose from" Lord Elrond said pointing to the various bottles on the shelves "You may wrap a towel around you waist while you bath, don't worry about getting it wet"

Lindir smelt each one and picked the ones that smelt like strawberries. He followed Lord Elrond and the twins examples and took off his clothing and wrapped a white towel around his waist. He sat a small stool and began to wash his hair and body. He had a small conversation with Lord Elrond and the twins before feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he was being watched. He spun around quickly and notice all eyes were on him, the scene quickly enraged him and he shouted "What the fuck are you all looking at!?"

There were several gasps of horror as many turned away or covered their children's ears.

Lord Elrond grabbed Lindir's arm gently and said "Lindir please mind your language around the young ones"

Lindir turned to him and spat "Well maybe if certain nosy gits would learn to mind their own business I would mind my language"

"Lindir please calm down" Lord Elrond said. Lindir huffed and turned away from him to brush his hair. Lord Elrond turned to his subjects and glared at them, silently warning them that he would not tolerate such behaviour from then. The elves got the message and went back to their own bathing.

"Nosy dickheads" Lindir hissed under his breath

"Lindir" Lord Elrond said in a warning tone

Lindir ignored him and continued to brush his hair. Afterwards Lindir was guided to an almost empty bathing tub. There was already three elves in there a family by the looks of it, a man, a woman, and a child of about three or four years old, happily splashing in the water. Lindir felt of pang of jealousy? No, heart ache in his chest when he was reminded of his family. He sat in the water Lord Elrond on his left and the family on his right. The water came up to his chest and soothed him to the bone. A satisfied sigh left his lips and he closed his eyes to relax. He was brought out of his musing when he felt a small tug on his hair. He looked over to see the small child pulling on it.

"S-Sorry" the woman stuttered and pulled the child of his hair.

Lindir didn't reply, instead he moved away from them, glaring slightly and moved closer to Lord Elrond. Lindir wasn't very fond of children as it is and one pulling on his hair wasn't helping. The man and woman seemed offended by his actions but he didn't care. Soaking in the bath seemed to wash all of Lindir's cares away. The warm water cleansed his soul and soaked into his skin, he had never felt such luxury before.

"Do you like the baths Lindir?" Elrohir asked

Lindir snapped to attention and replied "Yes, it is very nice"

"Our Ada made the herbs that are in the water himself. Relaxes all of the muscles and dulls any ache or pains" Elladan said

So that's why he felt so relaxed "What are these herbs?" Lindir asked

"I will be happy to tell you tomorrow, try to relax for now" Lord Elrond said

Lindir would hold him to that. Lindir could still feel people watching him but this time he was going to let it go. He didn't want to start any trouble "People are staring again, why?" he whispered.

"They can see your tattoo. Their just curious" Elladan replied

Lindir rolled his eyes and continued to enjoy the bath. After bathing he got out of the bath, dried himself and put his spare clothes. He followed Lord Elrond and the twins to a balcony to play a card game. It didn't take long for Lindir to start swindling the twins out of the gold they had on them. Yes, he was cheating but it is what he was taught, how to cheat drunkards in pubs out of their gold. Fortunately for him it didn't seem like the twins or Lord Elrond had caught on to him.

Hours past until Lord Elrond said "I think it's time for bed, you two have the morning patrol"

"Yes Ada" they both said in unison and put away their cards.

When they left Lord Elrond turned to Lindir and said "Perhaps you should turn in too Lindir"

"Very well" he replied

"Before you go, I want you to give me back my sons coins please" Lord Elrond said

"Oh what? I won it" Lindir protested

"You cheated" Lord Elrond said bluntly "You don't live as long as I do without noticing the little details"

Lindir groaned and pulled out a small bag of gold. He gave it to Lord Elrond and was about to leave when he was stopped again.

"All of it please" Lord Elrond said

Lindir tutted, pulled out a second bag and handed it over. He noticed Lord Elrond giving him this...look. Lord Elrond raised an eyebrow and Lindir got the message. He pulled a single gold coin and gave it to him.

"Thank you" Lord Elrond said

"If you knew I was cheating, why didn't you stop me?" Lindir asked

"To teach my sons a lesson. Hopefully they will be more aware of what is going on around them" Lord Elrond said "Now off to bed"

Lindir sighed loudly and went back to his room in the healing ward. He really wanted that gold for a rainy day of course. When he came to Rivendell he didn't have any gold on him at all and he realised that there was probably no way for him to earn any, he had been told he was too young to get a job. He wasn't a greedy elf...sort of, he just wanted a way to pay for himself like he has always been able too, even with stolen gold. These thoughts came about when he had learned about the Rivendell market. He wanted to go and see it and maybe do some shopping but without any coin he couldn't. Maybe tomorrow he would ask Lord Elrond how he could earn his own gold. He changed into his nightwear, got into bed and let himself fall into dreamless sleep.

Lord Elrond had retired to his room for the night. Putting his sons coins on his desk, he would have to talk with them about how they had been swindled by a child. He would also have to tell Lindir not to take anyone's money like that again. But he had enjoyed today, apart from the incident in the baths the day went well. He had the feeling that Lindir may start to enjoy himself, but then he remembered about taking baby steps. It was just the start of Lindir's new life here and one good day doesn't mean anything if the next day is a bad one. Speaking about the next day Lord Elrond had council meetings all day tomorrow, he would not be able to see Lindir at all, which meant someone else was going to have to watch him, but who?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer. I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Erestor was not happy today, not happy at all. He was Lord Elrond's chief councillor, the elf in charge of most of the things in Rivendell, he was not a babysitter! And yet here he was babysitting Lindir, while his Lord attended his meetings. Erestor glared lightly at the elf that was currently sitting on _his bed_ in _his room,_ rubbing his forehead in annoyance he had to re-plan his day to included babysitting Lindir.

"If you're so against looking after me, I can leave" Lindir said

"I am following Lord Elrond's orders, I can't let you leave" Erestor replied

"I'm not happy about this either, I can see already that I'm being a nuisance. Why don't I go and do something else and then I lie about you taking care of me?" Lindir suggested.

"I will not let you lie to Lord Elrond and neither will I. You will stay with me for the day and who knows maybe you might learn something about how Rivendell runs on a daily basis" Erestor said then he got an idea "Yes, that's not a bad idea. Today you will be my assistant and I will be your teacher. I will show you how I keep Rivendell from falling apart"

"Why?" Lindir asked

"Because you might like it or you might find something that interests you and pursue it as a future career" Erestor explained simply.

 _'Future career?'_ Lindir wondered. Then it hit him, a career meant a job and a job meant money. He did want to asked about how to earn money due to his age, maybe this was his chance to get some answers "That doesn't sound too bad" he said.

"Good. Now then as my assistant for the day I want you to observe me and see how adults work and interact with each other. Also I think I may ask you to do some simple tasks" Erestor said

"Like what?" Lindir asked

"Well for starters why don't you carry these scrolls for me and we can start the days tasks" Erestor replied pointing to six scrolls lying on his desk.

Lindir nodded and picked up the scrolls. He wasn't sure if today was going to be a good day or a bad day, but he decided to give it a try.

Erestor was surprised with how compliant Lindir was being, he was positive that Lindir had ulterior motives and he would have to keep a very close eye on him. The first place Erestor needed to go was the food and wine storage. When he and Lindir arrived they were greeted by Maeron the head of the storage.  

"Good morning Maeron" Erestor said

"Good Morn-" Maeron stopped when he saw the younger elf standing next to Erestor "Why is this elf here, My Lord?" he asked furrowing his brow.

Lindir clenched his teeth and was going to say something but Erestor spoke up first "He is here to learn Maeron, do you have a problem with that?" Erestor said giving no room for argument.

"N-No my Lord" Maeron replied.

"Good. Now then let's get down to business. How are the supplies?" Erestor asked

Lindir listened to Maeron and Erestor talk about how much supplies they had stocked. He watched Erestor take notes and take a look at the wine barrels. He could almost understand what they were talking about, it reminded him how Furrex taught him to store food and drink for travel.

"Lindir" Erestor said.

"Yes?" Lindir replied

"Come here would you" Erestor said

Lindir approached Erestor and said "What?"

"Hmm, very well mannered" Maeron muttered

"Enough Maeron" Erestor warned "I need this scroll for a moment" he took a scroll from Lindir's arms and said "Thank you. Stay there for a moment"

Lindir peeked over Erestor's shoulder to see what was on the scroll, it was full of numbers and scribbles. He was sure the scribbles were Elvish, which is why he couldn't read them. He looked at the floor feeling slightly irritated as he realised that Lord Elrond was right, he needed to go to school and learn if was to going to survive here.

After updating the stock Erestor gave the scroll back to Lindir and bid Maeron farewell. Walking to their next destination Erestor noticed something was wrong with Lindir "What is wrong Lindir?" he asked.

Lindir didn't want to tell Erestor about his thoughts on school so he asked "What did Maeron say about my manners?"  

"Ah that, do not worry about it too much" Erestor replied

"But I am thinking about it" Lindir said

Erestor sighed and said "He made a comment on how poorly mannered you were towards me, but I can understand that you are not use to using manners"

It hadn't meant to sound like an insult but to Lindir it did "And what did I do exactly?" he asked almost hissing.

"You said 'what' instead of something more polite such as yes my Lord or yes sir. Because of my position everyone in Rivendell respects me and talks to me in the highest regards. When Maeron heard the way you spoke to me he was no doubt shocked or disgusted at your attitude" Erestor explained.

"Well that's not my problem" Lindir huffed

"Technically it is your problem" Erestor said a little bit too harshly. When Lindir scowled at him he sighed and said "You will have to work on your manners if you want people to like and trust you Lindir, nobody wants to be spoken rudely to. Do you?"

"No, but there are people out there that don't deserve my manners" Lindir replied childishly

"That is not the point Lindir. It doesn't matter whether they deserve them or not the point is you have to use then or else you are likely to get into trouble" Erestor explained.

"Why?" Lindir asked

"Remember how you spoke to King Thranduil during the dinner party?" Erestor asked

Lindir snorted in laughter and replied "Yes"

"If you were in his Kingdom and spoke to him like that he could have easily thrown you in prison or had you executed" Erestor said

"Good thing I'm not in his Kingdom then" Lindir said dismissively

Erestor felt  irritated at Lindir's lack of concern "That is not true. He could have easily had you thrown in jail here as well. You insulted him and his honour, that is a crime and it is not taken lightly. The only reason you are not in jail is because Lord Elrond stood up for you" he said irritated.

Lindir was a little taken back by what Erestor had just told him, had Lord Elrond really prevented him from being jailed or killed over such a comment? He wondered "I can understand that. Back when I was working as a thief you had to show respect for the one who called himself the king or else you would have been punished, but sometimes you were punished for no reason, like I was on many occasions"

Erestor felt his irritation disappear at Lindir's somewhat sorrowful tone, he hadn't ever thought about how Lindir might have suffered in the past, which would explain his attitude towards people of a high status "What happened when you were punished?" he asked but not really expecting an answer.

"it depended on how angry the so called king was. You would be whipped, locked away, chained to a wall, starved, beaten, flogged, put in solitary confinement, but like I said it depended on how the king felt" Lindir explained.

Erestor noticed the tone of normality as Lindir spoke, the way he spoke so casually of torture and imprisonment was concerning "Lindir do you need therapy?" Erestor asked bluntly.

"Therapy? For what?" Lindir asked

"For the horror's you have obviously suffered. Not many can say they have been through such gruesome torture and come out the same. Nightmares and flashbacks can prevent someone from living a normal life, if you suffer from these we have therapist that can help you" Erestor explained.

Lindir looked at Erestor quizzically and then started to laugh "You-you think I need therapy?" he laughed "As nice as you offer is I assure you I am quite fine. I got use to such treatment and found ways to make them less...gruesome" he said.

Erestor couldn't believe his ears, Lindir had to be lying, denial was a sign of trauma. But there was nothing he could do about now, he would have to bring this up with Lord Elrond later "Very well, if you do not want therapy I will not force you. I think we've talked long enough, let's go to the seamstresses" Erestor took Lindir to the seamstress and told him this is where most of the clothes in Rivendell were made.

Lindir was slightly impressed by the room, is was nice, clean and everything was put away neatly. The fabrics were very fine and were in a colourful rainbow order, he couldn't help touching the fabrics. 

"Miss Melda" Erestor called out

A female elf stopped sewing and approached "How my I help you my Lord?" she asked

"I'm checking on the stock and orders" Erestor replied

"Of course, I have the numbers right here" she replied and handed Erestor a scroll.

Lindir didn't watch Erestor this time, he kept his eyes on the fabrics, buttons and beads. He felt a pang of uneasiness when he recognised some of the more fancy beading. He had stolen them before, off of a travelling elven merchant, they had sold well. He wonder if that travelling merchant was actually a Rivendell worker delivering things that had been ordered by Erestor. A small amount of panic arose in his chest as he thought about the consequences, would he have to pay for his actions? Had he stolen anything else from Rivendell without realising it? His thoughts were broken when the seamstress spoke to him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked sounding annoyed

"T-These beads" Lindir said

"And what pray tell is so interesting about them?" she asked suspiciously

"I was just wondering what they would be used for" Lindir lied

"They would be put on women's dresses" she replied

"But these beads don't have holes in them, how would you sew them on?" he asked

"That is a secret, now come away from there" she ordered

Lindir stepped away and got closer to Erestor, the seamstress unnerved him for some reason. He blamed his unease on the harshness of her voice and thought nothing else of it.

After Erestor had finished with the scroll he handed it back and said "Thank you Melda, I will see you again soon"

"Before you go my Lord, may I speak with you alone?" she asked

"Of course. Lindir could you wait outside please?" Erestor said

Lindir nodded and went outside the door. He strained his ears so he could listen to the conversation.

"Why did you bring that boy here?" Melda asked angrily

"He is here to learn how Rivendell works" Erestor replied

"I saw him eyeing those beads, that thief probably stuffed some in his pockets" Melda said

"He doesn't have any pockets and he did not take any" Erestor argued

"So you say, but I know how many were in that draw. I will count them and if there is any missing I will know and find that boy myself" she hissed

"All the beads will be there Melda. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do" Erestor said before leaving the room "Ready to go Lindir?" he asked.

"Yes, where next?" Lindir replied

"Next we have to go to the stables" Erestor replied and started to led Lindir in the direction of the stables.

As Lindir walked he thought about the conversation he had overheard. The seamstress, Melda, had every right to suspect him of theft and he knew it. So why then did it hurt so much? Was it because the truth hurt? He wasn't sure but he wouldn't let his hurt show.

Reaching the stables Erestor called out for the head of the stables "Daeron"

"My Lord Erestor, going out for a ride" Daeron replied

"No, I just need to know the conditions of the horses before the patrols go out in a few days" Erestor replied

"I have the charts of the horses here" Daeron said giving Erestor the charts.

Lindir liked horses but he wasn't much of rider. He put the scrolls under his left arm and reached out to fuss one of the horses with his right hand.

"Could you please not touch them" Daeron said harshly

Lindir pulled his hand back surprised and asked "Why?"

"Because they are the purest of breed and without proper training to handle them you will startle them" Daeron replied "I want you to leave the stables, right now" he ordered

"He stays Daeron, he's here to learn" Erestor said

"Learn what? How to steal horses?" Daeron said maliciously "He needs to go"

"He's with me Daeron and I say-" Before Erestor could continue he heard Lindir leave.

Lindir rushed out of the stable and stood outside the door. Hugging the scrolls close to his aching chest he held back his tears. From what he had heard from humans all his life he expected elves to be graceful and kind natured but so far today everyone had been harsh and spiteful towards him and deep down he knew he deserved such treatment. He was a thief and rude, so why would anyone treat him nicely? He straightened himself up when he heard footsteps coming from the stables.

"Are you alright Lindir?" Erestor asked

"I'm fine" he spat "Are we done?" he asked

Erestor knew he wasn't fine, he could see Lindir's eyes were slightly red, but he wouldn't press "Yes we're done. Let's go" he replied. For the rest of the trip Lindir was silent and uninterested in anything that was happening around him. Erestor tried to converse with him but failed. When they had finished their trip around Rivendell Erestor took Lindir back to his office to finished his reports.

"Where do I put these scrolls?" Lindir asked

"Put them on my desk please and sit down over there" Erestor replied

Lindir put the scrolls down on the desk and sat down on a stool in the corner of a room. He watched Erestor pull a large book from his bookcase and place it on his desk. Erestor sat at his desk, opened the book and began writing. Thirty minutes ticked by before Lindir got bored enough to ask "Can I go now?"

Erestor looked up and said "Pardon?"

"I've sat here for ages doing nothing, can I go?" Lindir said

"No, you're under my care therefore I must keep an eye on you" Erestor replied

"But I'm bored" Lindir whined

"Read a book I have plenty" Erestor suggested

Lindir frowned and said "I can't read any of them, they're all written in Elvish"

Erestor felt sorry for Lindir, reading was the most common thing to do in and for Lindir to have basically been denied the knowledge of his own race was saddening "Well, I'm not sure what else you can do"

"Can I go outside?" Lindir asked

"No, I want to be able to see you at all times" Erestor said

Lindir groaned loudly in annoyance and folded his legs. The movement of folding his legs onto the stool caused it to rock and make a thumping noise. One of the legs must be a bit shorter than the rest, Lindir tested this and kept rocking the stool. The stool rocked back and forth creating an annoying thumping noise. It wasn't the best thing to do but it was better than doing nothing.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Any pity Erestor felt for Lindir moments ago was gone and irritation took over "Will you stop that!" he yelled.

Lindir stopped and simply said "I'm bored" and then continued to rock the stool.

Erestor felt like he was about to pop a vein, he slammed his fist down on his desk and said "Stop it!"

"Then let me do something" Lindir whined

Erestor rubbed his forehead and groaned. Looking around his office he pulled out a chest "Why don't you sort these out for me. They're just odd objects I keep around. I want you to put them into piles for me clothing in one pile, shoes in another" he said.

"So I'm basically doing your chores now, great" Lindir said sarcastically

"If you don't like it you can go back to doing nothing" Erestor said

Lindir gave up the argument and opened the chest, it was a mess. He starting pulled out objects one by one and putting them into neat piles. Folding the clothes in one pile and putting knick-knacks into another. Then something shiny caught his eye, he was amazed when he pulled out a small golden harp "Where did you get this Erestor?" he asked.

Erestor looked and said "It was a gift from a friend and no I can't play"

"It's lovely" Lindir said. He plucked a string and cringed it was out of tune. As he started to tune it Erestor spoke up.

"Please don't break it" he said

"Sorry" Lindir said. As he looked at the harp he had to ask Erestor something "Erestor?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering something about school" Lindir said

"Oh? And what might that be?" Erestor said with genuine interest

"If I go to school would I learn about music?" Lindir asked

"Yes. Song and dance are very common in Rivendell" Erestor replied "Many famous elven musicians come from Rivendell"

"I see" Lindir said

Erestor wondered how Lindir would cope in school, considering his bad attitude in a social environment. But his interest in music may be a coping mechanism to help him adjust, he would have to tell Lord Elrond about this later.

A few hours later and Lindir had finished cleaning up the chest and was bored again "What can I do now?" he asked.

"Now we go and get something to eat, you are hungry yes?" Erestor asked

Lindir hadn't realised it before, but he was pretty hungry "Yes I am" he replied.

"Then let's go to the kitchens and get something to eat" Erestor said. After visiting the kitchens he and Lindir left with a bowl of food for each of them. Walking down back to his room Erestor heard a small thump behind him and Lindir saying 'oops' turning around he saw Lindir was gone.

Following Erestor back to his room Lindir took a bite out of a juicy red apple, before another apple fell out of his basket "Oops" he said before following the rolling fruit. He followed it through a door and caught it when it stopped against a wall. Picking it up his eyes caught the sight of the painting that was on the wall and looked at it in confusion.

"There you are Lindir" Erestor said

Lindir turned to Erestor and asked "What's this?"

Erestor looked at the painting and said "That is a painting of the Kinslaying at Alqualonde"

"That what?" Lindir asked

"The Kinslaying at Alqualonde was a dark time in Elvish history, it was the first time an elf was killed by another elf and that one death became a massacre" Erestor explained

Looking at the painting again Lindir could see now what Erestor meant. The blue water turning red, the floating corpses pierced with arrows and the elves fighting with each other. Lindir felt a cold chill run down his spine and he took a shaky step back. He felt the warm hand of Erestor on his back and said "This painting is well done, but I don't like looking at it"

"Not many people do. We should go" Erestor said and kept an arm around Lindir's shoulder and he lead him out of the room.

Lindir didn't look back as they left and was glad that in all his life he had never killed anyone, especially another elf. Arriving back at Erestor's office Lindir had lost most of his appetite, but he did eat some of the food. When he had, had enough he spoke to Erestor "Do you mind if I take a nap?" he asked.

"I suppose so, I have a spare bed through here" Erestor replied and took Lindir into the next room "You can sleep in here. I will still be in my office when you wake up" he said before leaving.

Lindir removed his shoes and clothes and folded them neatly. He crawled into bed and noticed how softer it was than the healing wing bed he had been sleeping in. As he lay he bed his mind wondered back to that painting, he curled into ball as the word kinslayer crossed his mind. He couldn't help but wonder what the elves would have thought about him if he had killed anyone, would they have killed him for his crime? He knew his hands were clean and so was his conscious, so why then? Why was he so upset about something he had never done? Maybe it was the fact the elves here thought he had and if he didn't say anything about it, he was silently confirming it. He stopped himself from making any noise as tears streamed from his eyes and he pulled the covers over himself.

As Erestor continued working he made notes on everything that had happened between him and Lindir so he could tell Lord Elrond of any progress. Looking at his list he wondered what he should tell Lord Elrond first. His list was written as followed:

  1. Lindir seems interested in a job
  2. Most elves do not trust him and treat him harshly
  3. He needs to work on his manners
  4. Lindir has suffered many horrific tortures and we spoke about therapy
  5. He needs to learn basic reading and writing skills
  6. Gets bored easily and does annoying things when he is bored
  7. Asked about school and has an interest in music
  8. Was disturbed by the painting of The Kinslaying at Alqualonde



His list was written in order by what had happened that day but something's were more serious than others and should be put first. Before he could make changes to his list Glorfindel walked in.

"Erestor my love" Glorfindel sang before picking Erestor up and swinging him around "Dance with me"

"Glorfindel you big oaf, put me down" Erestor said playfully. He was put back down onto his feet and pulled into a deep kiss. Wrapping his arms around his lovers neck he moaned softly.

Glorfindel pulled away and asked "How have you been my raven?"

"I would say fine but today has been rather stressful" Erestor replied

"Oh? Why is that?" Glorfindel asked

"I've had to babysit Lindir all day. He's in the next room right now sleeping" he gave Glorfindel his list and said "This is some of the important things that have happened today and will be talking to Lord Elrond about"

Glorfindel read through the list and scowled "I don't understand how some elves could be so mean to a child" he said.

"Obviously it is because of the way he has acted since he has been here rude behaviour, stealing, swearing, mocking royalty and he was brought here as a prisoner that only is enough for people to mistrust him" Erestor explained.

"But can't they understand that he doesn't mean to do such things?" Glorfindel asked

"Maybe, maybe not, maybe they do know but they simply don't care. But the one thing I do know is that if things don't change soon the chances of Lindir becoming a proper elf will drop and one day he might just decide to leave" Erestor replied.

"What about this 'suffered horrific tortures' part?" Glorfindel asked

"Lindir told me about the harsh treatment he suffered at the hands of the king of thieves it was disturbing and I offered him therapy, he laughed at the idea. I think he is in denial about it" Erestor replied.

"I see..." Glorfindel didn't what else to say. He pulled Erestor into a soft embrace and whispered "You did good today"

Erestor closed his eyes and leaned into the warmth of Glorfindel's chest and slowly he started to feel his stress melting away.

A few hours later and Erestor had to leave to go and see Lord Elrond, with Lindir stills sleeping he left Glorfindel in charge. Kissing Glorfindel one last time he left to find his Lord. He made his way to Lord Elrond's office and knocked on the door, when he heard Lord Elrond say enter he opened the door and greeted him "Good evening my Lord"

"Good evening Erestor. How had today been?" Lord Elrond asked

 _'Straight to the point?'_ Erestor wondered "You have been worried?" he asked

"Not worried, just interested" lord Elrond replied

"I see. Well I have a lot to discuss with you my Lord some good and most...not so good" Erestor said

"Oh? Tell me the good first so I can see what progress he has made. We'll talk about how to handle the bad after" Lord Elrond said.

Erestor nodded and took a seat, talking to Lord Elrond about Lindir's problems was going to be difficult.

Meanwhile back in Erestor's room Lindir had woken up and walked into Erestor's office, only to find Erestor not there and Glorfindel in his place "Where is Erestor?" he asked.

"He has gone to see Lord Elrond. I'll be looking after you until he comes back" Glorfindel replied

"Oh, ok" Lindir mumbled

"So, did you have fun today?" Glorfindel asked

"No" Lindir hissed

"No? Aw Lindir no need to say it like that. I know Erestor can be a bit stuffy but he is a kind person" Glorfindel said.

"Erestor wasn't the problem" Lindir said

Glorfindel remembered what he and Erestor has talked about earlier and understood what was wrong with Lindir "Do not worry Lindir, I'm sure things will get better with time" he said trying to comfort him.

"I don't know Glorfindel. All my life I've been told stories about how great elves were, how smart they are, how they can use magic, how majestic and beautiful they look, how wise and graceful they are, I was always awestruck by these tales" Lindir's eyes seemed to sparkle as he spoke about how people saw elves, but then his eyes dimmed again "But being here has changed that and it's all my fault" he said sadly.

Glorfindel stood up and out a hand on Lindir's shoulder and asked "How is it your fault?"

"I grew up on stories about my race and with the life style I was living I romanticised elves as these perfect beings, but being here I have seen the harsh reality of elves, there just as imperfect as any other race" Lindir explained.

Glorfindel sighed he knew what Lindir was talking about and decided to explain it to him "I can see why you thought elves were perfect. The tales you grew on were spun by men but you must understand that men do not know us very well. We are not perfect, we make mistakes. Nothing that happened today was your fault"

"Yes it is. I was told that first impressions are important and people will judge you for it. My first impression was not the best and I only keep making things worse" Lindir said.

"I agree first impressions are important, do you want to what my first impression of you was?" Glorfindel asked

"I'm not really sure I want to, I mean I did attack you" Lindir said

"Exactly, you fought me. When I first saw you I knew you were young and in your eyes I saw fire and bravery. You fought with everything you had until you passed out and I knew you were a strong person. That was my first impression of you" Glorfindel said happily "You reminded me of me when I was your age"

Lindir felt a blush spread across his face and couldn't say anything else except for a quiet "T-thank you"

Glorfindel smiled and pulled Lindir into a hug "Do not worry about the way things are now they will get better and I will help you, I promise" he said

Before anything else could happen between the two of them Erestor walked in "I have finished talking with Lord Elrond. Glorfindel is-" Erestor's sentence was cut short when he saw the scene before him. He balled his fist and calmly asked "What is going on here?"

Lindir pushed away from Glorfindel and said nothing.

"I was just comforting Lindir after the rough day he has had" Glorfindel said not sensing how awkward the situation was.

"Well that is nice but it's time for Lindir to leave and go back to the healing wing" Erestor said

"Very well. I will see you another time Lindir" Glorfindel said

"Yeah, goodbye" Lindir replied leaving with Erestor

The walk back to the healing was a quiet one. Neither Erestor nor Lindir spoke to each other. When Lindir had been escorted back he turned and asked Erestor "What did you and Lord Elrond talk about?"

"We will discuss that another time, for now it is time for bed" Erestor said

"Bed? But I just took a nap and it's still early" Lindir whined

"Most children your age are already asleep. If you are not tired then you can play a few card games" Erestor said. He rummaged through a drawer until he found a pack of playing cards and gave them to Lindir "Have fun" he said and left.

Lindir looked at the cards dumbfounded and then threw them onto the floor in anger. A set bed time? Ha! He laughed at the thought, he knew he was no longer being guarded and decided to sneak out of the window. Climbing out the window he decided now would be a good time to do some more exploring.

Erestor was not jealous of Lindir, a child! But when he saw Glorfindel hugging him it did irk him, despite knowing there was nothing wrong with the situation. Returning to his room Glorfindel was still there.

"How was the talk with Lord Elrond?" Glorfindel asked

"Fine and not so fine. We still have a long way to go with Lindir" Erestor said

Glorfindel knew his lover well enough to know when he was upset "He is a child Erestor and nothing happened between us"

"I know that" Erestor snapped "Still I could help but feel a bit..."

"Jealous" Glorfindel finished "I know you don't like it when I pay attention to someone else, but you have nothing to fear when it comes to Lindir, he is too young and not really my type"

"I know" Erestor said

"My type" Glorfindel said and wrapped his arms around his lover "Is someone with raven black hair" he said and kissed Erestor's head "With pale white skin" he whispered as he pulled Erestor's shirt down and licked his neck "And is smart, brave and loyal" he added. He lifted Erestor up and placed him down on the bed "And on top of all that the one who looks good wearing my hand made wedding ring" he said kissing the golden metal band on Erestor's ring finger.

"I'm sorry for being so foolish" Erestor said feeling a bit foolish.

"Don't be" Glorfindel replied and kissed Erestor full on the lips.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.
> 
> There are two different movie references in this chapter, many vertual sweets for the people that can spot them.

The next morning Lord Elrond ordered his sons to go and look for Lindir who had disappeared again. Today was not starting as Lord Elrond had planned, he was hoping to talk to Lindir about the problems he and Erestor had talked about the other day. But now it looked like that would have to wait, he had other problems to worry about. He was expecting human and dwarven traders and he was going to do trades with them both. While his sons looked for Lindir he was going to get ready for the traders.

Elladan and Elrohir searched high and low for Lindir. They hadn't really spent much time with Lindir and they were very curious about him. They had questions about his life and they wanted to see if he liked pranks. However when they did find him they were defiantly going to get him back for swindling them out of their coin pouches.

Lindir had stayed out all night again and had slept on a roof. The sun was just starting to rise when he woke up, unable to go back to sleep he went to the kitchens for an early breakfast. The kitchens were empty so he decided to be a bit nosy and have a proper look around. He found an assortment of foods except for meat, which didn't surprise him. He remembered the first time he ate a piece of meat, it was a piece of cooked deer, he almost threw up. The texture and the taste didn't feel right in his mouth, it felt wrong. Needless to say he never tried any type of meat again. Eating his fill from the kitchen he cleaned up and left.

Lindir didn't know what to do with himself with no one else around except for a few patrols. Watching the patrols made him realised that he hadn't trained in ages and wondered if the training grounds were empty. Making his way to the training grounds he stayed hidden as his eyes scanned below him. Smiling when he saw that no one else was around he jumped down from his hiding spot and looked for any weapons. Finding none lying around he looked for the storage where they were kept. Finding the weapon storage was easy but picking the locked door would be a challenge.

Lindir pulled out a few lock picks that he kept hidden in his hair and started to pick the lock. His things may have been taken from him when he arrived in Rivendell but that did stop his from being very resourceful. After all the elves here didn't keep everything locked away and small thin pieces of metal, easy enough to bend into shape was one of them. Swiping them was easy. After a good five minutes Lindir had finally picked the lock. Pushing open the door his eyes lingered on the gleaming blades and shining shields. Swords and shields were alright but Lindir preferred bows and arrows, like most elves. Finding a bow his size and picking up a few dozen arrows he found the archery range and began to shoot the targets.

After a few hours Lindir collected the arrows and put everything back where it belonged. He relocked the door and left the training grounds. _'Now what?'_ He wondered. Well he had worked up a bit if a sweat during practice and a nice swim would take care of that. Lindir found a nice stream of water with no heavy currents to swim in. Removing his clothes except for his leggings he dove into the cool refreshing water. Lindir let out a sigh of content as the water cooled down his skin. Diving underneath the water he noticed how crystal clear the water was, he could spend hours here.

Lindir had always felt a sense of freedom being underwater, being weightless, he felt like he was flying. Swimming to the bottom he could clearly see the ripples in the sand that the water had made. Reaching his hand out he touched the sand and disturbed the pattern. When the sand settled his eyes caught the sight of something shiny. Curiously he pulled it out the sand and was surprised to find a gold coin. Smiling at his small find he went back to the surface he swam to the water's edge and put the coin with his clothes. Lindir wondered if there was more treasures just waiting to be found and decided that for the rest of the day he was going to try and find them.

Elladan and Elrohir were quickly growing concerned over the missing elf Lindir, if they couldn't find him their father was going to yell at them.

"Do you think he left Rivendell?" Elrohir asked.

"I don't know" Elladan replied and honestly he didn't.

The two continued to search until as last they caught sight of Lindir diving under the water. They both reach the edge of water and call out to him. When Lindir didn't resurface Elladan smiled wickedly and turned to his brother "Let's grab his clothes" he says.

"What?" Elrohir said confused.

"We should take his clothes just as a joke, we'll give them back" Elladan explained.

Elrohir smiled like his brother and together they grabbed his clothing. Running away from the water, clothing under their arms they didn't get far when they were both knocked to the ground. Both Elladan and Elrohir received swift kicks to the backs of their heads making them see stars and falling to the ground. Rubbing their heads they looked behind them to see a dripping wet Lindir standing over them, glaring, with folded arms.

"Oops, I guess we got caught" Elladan said playfully.

"You think I didn't know?" Lindir asked "Stupid fools" he spat and grabbed his clothing.

"Sorry Lindir" Elrohir said sincerely.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't beat the living day light out of the both of you" Lindir warned as he cracked his knuckles.

"W-Wait Lindir, we were just kidding" Elladan said.

"Well your 'just kidding' almost got you beaten to a pulp. Leave me alone" Lindir said and walked back towards the water.

"Lindir we need to take you to out Ada" Elladan said.

Lindir looked back and said "Ada?" confused.

"It means father. He's been worried about you since this morning and sent us to find you" Elladan said.

"And steal my clothes?" Lindir asked darkly.

"Well no, but now that we've found you we need to take you to him" Elrohir said

"Why?" Lindir asked.

"He wanted to talk to you about something important, about your future here" Elrohir said

Lindir couldn't care less about such things right now but he didn't want the twins to know about the treasures he had found. He was surprised they didn't notice them when they took his clothes "Alright I'll go. I just need to get dressed" he dried his hair and body as best he could and got dressed. He carefully used his body to block the twins view of his treasures and slipped them into his boot. A bit uncomfortable as he followed the twins but he would bear it.

"Ada might be talking to a human trader right now, so if we find him we might have to wait for him to finish" Elrohir explained.

"There are human's here?" Lindir asked.

"Yes and dwarves. Sometimes they come to offer trade" Elladan replied.

"There are dwarves here as well? I thought elves and dwarves did not get along" Lindir said.

"Well we don't, but sometimes trade between us is necessary. The dwarves here have come to trade metals and jewels and we will give them clothes and fabrics in return" Elladan explained.

"I see interesting. And what about the men?" Lindir asked.

"I'm not sure. Probably just bits and baubles for coin" Elrohir replied.

Elrohir and Elladan led Lindir to the balcony where their father was. When they arrived they found him still talking to the human traders "He's still busy. Let wait over here" Elladan said taking a seat at a table. Elrohir and Lindir followed suit.

Lindir was very curious about this tradesman so he watched him interacting with Lord Elrond and Erestor. He couldn't hear much of their conversation and wasn't sure what they were trading but he did know that this man was up to no good.

Meanwhile Lord Elrond sensed his sons had returned with Lindir and were waiting for him at the table, it filled him with relief.

"I'm happy with the agreed price if you are my Lord" the man said.

"Yes it is agreeable" Lord Elrond replied. He took the amount of coin from his pocket and placed it onto the weighing scales the man had provided.

"You're a few coins short my Lord" the man said.

"I am? I thought had enough" Lord Elrond said.

"Anybody can make a mistake my Lord" the man said.

Lord Elrond sighed and dipped into his pocket again. Putting a few more coins onto the scale until it balanced equally on each side.

As Lord Elrond and the man stepped away from the scales Lindir made his move. He removed the coins and the weights from the scales and then put one weight back on. It was just as he suspected the man was cheating Lord Elrond out of his coin "My Lord Elrond I think you should see this" Lindir said gaining Lord Elrond and the man's attention.

"Ah! Get away from that. Don't touch it" the man warned and unfortunately gaining everyone else's attention.

Lord Elrond looked at the scales and realised what Lindir was showing him and glared at the man angrily.

"They must be broken my Lord, I had no idea" the man said trying to save himself.

"Of course you didn't, anybody can make a mistake. And yours will cost you a few days in prison. Take him away" Lord Elrond ordered. At his command two guards came and arrested them man, who begged him not to. He approached Lindir and said "Thank you Lindir"

"No problem" Lindir said grinning.

"How did you know the scales were off balance?" Erestor asked.

"Because the man put the weights on first so nobody would notice. If you don't want to get conned out of your coin always ask people to remove them before putting your coin on" Lindir explained.

"I see. I will have to remember that in future" Lord Elrond said picking up his coins.

"Have you used this technique yourself?" Erestor asked.

"To take people's coin? No, I was showed how to do this but I preferred to stay in the shadows" Lindir replied before pulled a sack of gold out from behind his back "Like this" he said smiling.

"Where did you get that?" Lord Elrond asked shocked.

"I took it from that man when I walked past you" Lindir replied.

"I don't think I approve of this" Lord Elrond said.

"What? He was going to take your coin, I was simply returning the favour and besides wouldn't it be nice to return the coin that man has stole?" Lindir asked.

"I don't really approve of your methods but returning the coin is a good idea" Lord Elrond said taking the bag of gold from Lindir.

"It might be best to search the man's room. Who knows what else he might have stolen" Erestor suggested.

"Indeed but we'll take care of that later, for now I want someone to find out that man's name and find out if anybody else has been conned by him. If anybody comes forward and can prove it then they may take their coin back" Lord Elrond said.

"Yes my Lord" Erestor replied and went to sort out this mess.

Lord Elrond turned to Lindir again and said "I must thank you again Lindir, you have done well"

Lindir wasn't sure what to say, he hadn't been praised for doing something good before "Y-Yeah sure"

Lord Elrond sensed Lindir's comfort and gentle patted him on the head.

Lindir felt the warmth from Lord Elrond's hand on his head and didn't move to stop him.

"Why are you damp Lindir?" Lord Elrond asked suddenly.

"I went swimming earlier" Lindir answered.

"Swimming? And you didn't dry off? You're going to catch your death like that. I want you to go take a warm bath and get changed" Lord Elrond said.

At that moment Lindir had a spark of genius "Very well. I will see you later" he said.

"When you are done you can meet me in the hall of fire. I wish to speak with you" Lord Elrond said.

"Alright" Lindir replied and left. Smirking to himself he could be a real genius at times. He started to jog until he eventually caught up to Erestor "Erestor" he called out getting his attention.

"Something wrong Lindir?" Erestor asked.

"No nothing, I just wanted to ask you something" Lindir said.

"And that would be?" Erestor asked.

"I was wondering how men and dwarves can stay in Rivendell. If Rivendell is made for elves how are they able to cope here?" Lindir asked.

"We have special rooms for other races to stay in, they are designed to suit their needs. Not many are taller than elves so everything is smaller and certain items such as razors for men to shave with are left in the bathrooms" Erestor said.

"Would I be able to see these rooms?" Lindir asked.

"If you got Lord Elrond permission and someone to accompany you them maybe you could" Erestor said.

"I would like to see them sometime. But there's still one thing that confuses me" Lindir said

"And that is?" Erestor asked.

"Are these rooms close to elven rooms or are they elsewhere for being so different or to respect privacy?" Lindir asked.

"They are separated from elven rooms to as you say respect others privacy. Room's for other races are in the northern part of Rivendell" Erestor explained.

"I see. Thank you Erestor, I want to talk more but Lord Elrond wants me to meet him later in the hall of fire. I will see you later" Lindir said and ran off before Erestor could say anything else. Now that he knew where the men and dwarves were staying he knew where he was going tonight.

Lindir quickly made his way back to the healing wing and was glad to find it was empty. He sat down on his bed and removed his boot. He tipped the treasures he had found out onto the bed. During his swim he had found eight bronze coins, four silver coins, three gold coins, one gold chain and one diamond ring. It was a great haul. During his stay in the healing wing Lindir had made himself busy by making a secret compartment in a drawer next to his bed. He would hide his treasures in there.

After Lindir had put away his loot he got into a warm bath and put on some clean clothing, he made his way to the hall of fire "Lord Elrond?" he called out.

"Ah, Lindir there you are" Lord Elrond said stepping into his line of sight "How do you feel?" he asked.

"Better" Lindir replied "What did you want to tell me?" he asked.

Lord Elrond's face turned serious "Do you remember the day you spent with Erestor?" he asked.

"Yes" Lindir replied.

"Well during your time together Erestor made a few assessments about you and we discussed them" Lord Elrond said.

"You discussed things about me without me being there?" Lindir questioned.

"Yes, I know it sounds bad but it is for your benefit" Lord Elrond replied.

Lindir glared slightly and asked "What did you two talk about?" 

"A lot of things, but there was one thing that did come up by chance and I was wondering how you would felt about it" Lord Elrond replied.

"And that was?" Lindir said impatiently.

"Well there is no easy way to say this but during our conversation the idea of adoption came up" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir felt  his heart skip a beat "A-Adoption?" he stuttered.

"Yes. Erestor thought it might be beneficial for you to have some sort of stable family relationship. I cannot look after you all of the time, I feel like I am tossing you from one person to another and you cannot stay in the healing wing forever. We both feel it might be better for you to have a permanent place to stay with people who can look after you" Lord Elrond explained.

Lindir was to stunned to say anything. He could fell a cold sweat forming on his forehead and his heart rate began to rise. A family meant a mother and a father. How could he cope with a new family, when he was still haunted by the deaths of his previous ones? He was snapped out of his thoughts when Lord Elrond put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Lord Elrond asked.

"I'm fine and I don't want to be adopted" Lindir replied.

"But what about the idea of having a family?" Lord Elrond asked.

"I had a family once, it didn't turn out so well and I don't want another one" Lindir spat.

"But..."

"No buts!" Lindir said interrupting him slapping his hand away "And no more families, I've lost too many over the years and I don't want any more!" he yelled before running away.

"Lindir wait!" Lord Elrond shouted. He wasn't fast enough to follow Lindir and hoped he was going to be alright. Bringing up the idea if a family sounded like a good idea but now...now Lord Elrond deeply regretted it. Despite his concern for Lindir his mind wondered back to what he had said _'No more families. I've lost too many over the years'_ what could that mean? He wondered. He knew he couldn't ask, not now. He would tell his guards to keep an eye out for Lindir and to report to him when they see him.

When Lindir went back to the healing wing, he covered his face with a pillow and screamed. The pillow muffled any sound so nobody heard. Lindir felt a twinge of betrayal towards Lord Elrond. He knew Lord Elrond didn't mean any harm by suggesting adoption, he thought he was doing Lindir a favour but it sounded bad to Lindir. Deep down he knew Lord Elrond was right. Lindir couldn't expect the Lord of Rivendell, the chief councillor and the slayer of a Balrog to keep on babysitting him. As for staying in the healing wing, well Lord Elrond was right about that to. He was taking up space that somebody else would probably need in the future. He flopped down on his bed and wondered what he was going to do about this new problem.

An hour later Lord Elrond was told the whereabouts of Lindir. He had been seen going back to the healing wing. Lord Elrond was relieved to hear this but it did not help his mood. He had told Erestor about what had happened and Erestor said he should have been there for support. Lord Elrond said it was not necessary as Lindir would have reacted the same. When he told Erestor about what Lindir said about families Erestor became curious about what he meant as well, but he respected Lord Elrond's decision not to go and ask him.  

When night fell Lindir was ready to put his plan into action. Sneaking out again he made his way to the northern part of Rivendell and began his search for the room the fake tradesman was staying in. Armed with the information Erestor had given him about what his room possibly looked like Lindir had some idea about to look for. After searching for about an hour Lindir had finally found the man's room and hoped it hadn't already been search by Lord Elrond's guards.

Lindir climbed in through the window and began to carefully search through each drawer. He put things back as he found them and tried not to leave any evidence of him being there. After searching through a few drawers he found what he was looking for. Hidden under a few of the man's shirts was a fortune of stolen goods, gold and jewellery just begging to be taken.

Lindir smiled and rubbed his hands together excitedly. He couldn't take the jewellery as someone might ask for it back in the future but the gold he would take. He would only take a few bags it would be reasonably to think the man had simply spent them. He took four bags of gold probably worth about two or three hundred gold and smiled further when he thought, screw getting a job this is much easier. Putting his stolen gold in his bag he jumped back out of the window and went back to his room. He put his gold away in the hidden compartment and shut the drawer. Going back to bed he made plans for the gold he had taken, plans that would involve the visiting dwarf traders.   


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.
> 
> I think this might be my longest chapter.

The next morning Lindir was woken up by Glorfindel. Seeing the golden haired warrior's smile first thing in the morning did not help his sour mood. He really hated mornings. He was told to get up, get dressed and get ready to meet everyone for breakfast.

"And who exactly is everyone?" Lindir hissed.

"Well Lord Elrond and Erestor and all of the other rulers and their families. Plus other inhabitants of Rivendell" Glorfindel replied.

Lindir grunted in annoyance and pulled the quilt over his head.

Glorfindel smiled mischievously before yanking the covers away from Lindir "Come on now you can't sleep all day" he said happily.

"How the fuck can you be so happy so early in the morning?" Lindir groaned.

"Mind your language Lindir" Glorfindel scolded "I have always been a morning person. That's how I stay so happy" he laughed "Now come, you cannot stay in bed all day"

"I can and I will" Lindir replied completely shrugging off Glorfindel and his cheerful mood.

Erestor had warned Glorfindel beforehand that Lindir would not get up in the morning, but Glorfindel didn't think it would be this bad "Come now Lindir. Today there is a special breakfast in the gardens" Glorfindel said.

"What's so special about it?" Lindir asked.

"If you want to know, you'll have to get up and come with me" Glorfindel replied.

Lindir groaned in annoyance and said "Then I don't care about it"

Glorfindel was stumped, he wasn't sure what to do next. Rubbing the back of his head he knew he had to think of something.

Meanwhile in the gardens the Lord of Rivendell and his advisor were talking about their plan for Lindir.

"Are you sure this will work Erestor?" Lord Elrond asked sceptical of his friends idea.

"No, but it might be a start" Erestor replied honestly.

"I thought as much" Lord Elrond said slightly worried.

"Do not worry so my friend. I know since are meeting about Lindir you have been on pins and needles about him and truth be told we cannot expect any change from him just yet. However I do believe that this will help him see what we can offer" Erestor explained.

Lord Elrond sighed as looked at the families before him. Erestor had invited them to show Lindir a normal family life and possibly have a family be interested in adopting him. It wasn't Lord Elrond's idea, oh no, it was his advisor who brought it up. Erestor had thought of it during their meeting.

***FLASHBACK***

Erestor made his way to Lord Elrond's office and knocked on the door, when he heard Lord Elrond say enter he opened the door and greeted him "Good evening my Lord"

"Good evening Erestor. How had today been?" Lord Elrond asked

 _'Straight to the point?'_ Erestor wondered "You have been worried?" he asked.

"Not worried, just interested" lord Elrond replied.

"I see. Well I have a lot to discuss with you my Lord some good and most...not so good" Erestor said

"Oh? Tell me the good first so I can see what progress he has made. We'll talk about how to handle the bad afterwards" Lord Elrond said.

Erestor nodded and took a seat, talking to Lord Elrond about Lindir's problems was going to be difficult.

"Well for starters Lindir has shown some interest in working"

"Has he now? And how did that come about?" Lord Elrond asked.

"He merely asked me questions about jobs and he did a good job with helping me while I did my morning duties" Erestor replied.

"I see. Well this is good. Perhaps he could do it again sometime" Lord Elrond suggested.

Erestor didn't really like the sound of that, but kept his opinions to himself "Next he asked about school and I learned he has a healthy interest in music"

"Well that is good. Perhaps this means he will want to attend school soon. As for his interest in music I'm sure some encouragement would do wonders" Lord Elrond said optimistically "So what other good news do you have?" he asked.

Erestor swallowed hard and replied "That was it my Lord. I'm afraid everything else on my list is bad news, some worse than others"

Lord Elrond's optimism dropped "Oh dear, well then you had better tell me, so we may work on this"

"I will start with the easiest things. He was disturbed by the painting of The Kinslaying at Alqualonde, as most elves are. Not really a problem but he seemed to pale quite a bit at it"

Lord Elrond rubbed his chin in thought and said "It is not surprising. Many would rather forget that piece of our history"  

"Indeed. He gets board easily and does annoying things when he is bored" Erestor said. 

Lord Elrond furrowed his brows and said "I don't see how that is a valid problem"

"You have no idea my Lord" Erestor said as he remembered Lindir rocking back and forth on that stool.

Lord Elrond was still confused at his advisors words but urged him to continued.

"He needs to work on his manners and he needs to learn how to read and write. I know he will learn these things in school but since he does not want to go to school just yet perhaps someone teach him, if only for a few hours a day" Erestor said.

"I think that is a very valid suggestion. I'm sure I could find someone to do the job" Lord Elrond replied "What else do you have?" he asked.

"During my morning duties many of the elves I spoke with immediately became suspicious of him and treated him rather harshly" Erestor replied, remembering how everyone glared at him.

"Oh dear. I cannot say I am surprised he is...uh...was a thief. But this kind of behaviour cannot continue, it will make him insecure and give him a complex" Lord Elrond said, slightly angry.

"I agree my Lord, but not everyone is going to change even if you tell them to. If they fear turning their backs on Lindir they will not turn their backs" Erestor explained "The only way they will change their minds is if Lindir improves himself and proves that his can be a trusted member of society"

"You are right my friend, but he needs to trust us just the same" Lord Elrond pointed out.

"Which he doesn't. It is a vicious circle my Lord, with trust being the main element of cause and effect" Erestor replied.

"Again you are right. Without trust from anyone the circle continues and repeats" Lord Elrond sighed.

"The last thing on my list is rather disturbing and is the most important. Lindir accidentally told me that while he worked for the king of thieves he was severely punished for any type of mistake or disrespect" Erestor said with an almost shaky breath.

"Punished? Did he say what type of punishment?" Lord Elrond asked concerned.

"Yes he did. He said he was whipped, locked away, chained to a wall, starved, beaten, flogged and put in solitary confinement" by now Erestor was visibly shaking, as he remembered how calm Lindir was while telling him this.

"By the Valar. No wonder he has issues. We must do something about this" Lord Elrond said horrified.

"I have already tried. Horrified by what he had told me I suggested he go to therapy where he would be helped, but he laughed at the idea. I think he is in denial about all of this. He said he had gotten use to such treatment and found his own ways to cope with them" Erestor replied.   

"You are right I have seen this before, in people who are in denial. We can't force him to talk to us about it but if possible we can try to get him to open up, but how?" Lord Elrond wondered.

"He needs more help then we realised" Erestor said.

"Yes he does, but we can't help if he doesn't let us" Lord Elrond pointed out "What he needs is some sort of structure in his life, some sort if stability"

 _'Structure and stability?"_ Erestor thought and then it came to him "What if he was adopted?" Erestor asked.

Lord Elrond looked at his advisor confused and asked "What do you mean?"

"He might gain structure and stability if he was adopted by a loving family" Erestor explained.

"I-I don't know if that would work, family can only do so much. However it might help him to integrate into our society" Lord Elrond said with enthusiasm "If fact I wonder if there is anyone who would be interested in adopting him?" he wondered "I could offer some financial support-" he suggested but Erestor stopped him midsentence.

"That is all very well and good my Lord, but what about Lindir himself? Would he be interested in the idea?" Erestor asked.

Oh, now Lord Elrond hadn't thought about that. He could ask Lindir, but it might not go well. How was he going to handle this?

"If I may make a suggestion my Lord? You could tell him about this idea and if he doesn't take a liking to the idea you could always use another tactic. We could set up a breakfast and invite a few of the families from Rivendell. We invite Lindir to show him how nice it can be having a family" Erestor suggested. 

"It seems wrong to trick him" Lord Elrond said.

"It is no trick my Lord, we are just showing him the benefits of having a family" Erestor replied.

Lord Elrond was still not sure but it might work "Very well I will speak with him about it. As for this plan of yours I want to do some research and find some families that would be willing to come to the breakfast and invite any potential parents for Lindir. But do not tell them the reason they are coming"

"Yes my Lord. If that is all I wish to be excused" Erestor replied.

"Very well I will see next time my friend" Lord Elrond said.

"And you as well" Erestor said as he left.

***END FLASHBACK***

Lord Elrond looked around at the families again. Children of various ages some the same age as Lindir ran around loudly and interacted with the leaders of the other nations. The parents chatted with each other as they rested on the grass. Lord Elrond felt slightly guilty for not telling them the real reason they were there. They all thought they were there to help improve relationships with other nations, not to help Lindir.

"Erestor dear" Glorfindel said as he appeared before Lord Elrond and his beloved Erestor.

"Glorfindel, where is Lindir?" Erestor asked.

Glorfindel looked at Erestor sheepishly and said "I couldn't get him out of bed"

Erestor rolled his eyes and said "I will be back shortly my Lord and I will bring Lindir with me" he left his lover and Lord and went to fetch Lindir.

"So...How are things going so far?" Glorfindel asked Lord Elrond.

"Things look well so far. I hope Lindir feels the same way, once he gets here" Lord Elrond replied.

"Glorfindel! Glorfindel! Come play orcs and elves with us" a bunch of children said running up to him.

Glorfindel laughed and went to join in with their games "I will talk to you later, after I have finished defeating some orcs, my Lord" he laughed.

Lord Elrond chuckled at his antics and nervously awaited Erestor's return.

Erestor came back to the garden with Lindir in tow "My Lord" he said.

Lord Elrond was happy to see Lindir standing next to Erestor, although Lindir didn't look very happy.

Lindir wasn't sure what to think as he looked at the situation before him. Children were running around too loudly, people sipped tea and made flower crowns, the leaders of other countries, including the witch of the woods and their off spring were there as well...What the hell was he doing here?   

"Lindir I'm glad you could join us" Lord Elrond said smiling.

"Well it's not like I had a choice" Lindir snapped.

"There is no need for that" Erestor scolded.

"I get cranky when I'm woken up in the morning" Lindir said glaring at the advisor "What am I doing here?" he asked.

"It is a special breakfast" Lord Elrond replied.

"And what pray tell is so special about all of this" Lindir hissed irritated.

"We are hoping this breakfast will help to improve relations with the other nations" Erestor replied.

"How with this help anybody?" Lindir asked confused and annoyed.

"It is not very often Lords and Ladies like myself or Galadriel get to relax like this. Being in such a relaxed and friendly environment is nice for everyone" Lord Elrond explained.  

Lindir was not convinced. He was surrounded by strangers, people he didn't like and people he knew hated him. He turned away from Elrond and Erestor and started to walk away.

Erestor grabbed Lindir's arm and asked "Where are you going?"

"Back to bed" Lindir replied.

"Oh no you're not. It is a lovely sunny day and you're invited for breakfast" Erestor argued "Now come along" he pulled Lindir, not forcefully, to one of the tables where many others were sitting.

Lindir tried to loosen Erestor's grip on his arm but it was no use, if he started a fight here it wouldn't look well for him. He was sat at the table and Erestor sat next to him. He looked at the other nervously and swallowed hard. He shouldn't be here, amongst royalty and councillors, he was just a common thief. Lindir felt his mood shift from irritated to insecure and he refused to make eye contact with anybody.

As Lord Elrond sat at the head of the table he wondered how to this event go better "You should try some honeyed oats Lindir. They are very good for you" Lindir looked at him for a moment before grabbing a bowl of fruit instead. Lord Elrond could sense the tension coming from Lindir, but how could he help?

Just then Glorfindel returned smiling and laughing "Playing orcs and elves is a great work out" he said. He noticed Lindir sitting next to Erestor and said "Good to see you out of bed Lindir"

Lindir glared at him and replied "You're to cheerful"

"How can I not be?" he said as he sat on the other side of Erestor "It's a nice day and I'm with my raven" pulling Erestor close to him he kissed him on the cheek.

Lindir was shocked by this and asked "You two are lovers?"

"Oh yes, we've been married for many years" Glorfindel replied, giving Erestor another peck on the cheek.

"Not out here you oaf" Erestor said playfully.

Lindir scrunched up his nose in disgust "Ew" he said turning his head away.

"There is nothing ew about this" Glorfindel said.

"Two people getting mushy with each other is ew. Save it for the bedroom" Lindir replied.

"Do you even know what that means?" Erestor asked surprised.

"Of course. You two are married therefore you have sex, which you should only do in the bedroom" Lindir explained smugly.

"Alright that's enough" Lord Elrond said sharply "It is too early in the morning for arguments and Lindir no more talk about...such things"

Lindir frowned and mumbled "They started it, being all mushy with each other"

The table went back to normal and more elves joined them. Soon the table became full and there was conversations and laughter a plenty. Lindir stayed silent and toyed with his food instead. A few minutes later Lindir felt his personal space being invaded, looking to his left he saw a small elf looking at him. He tried to ignore the elf but the child didn't leave.

Quickly becoming irritated Lindir told Erestor "Erestor"

"Yes Lindir?" Erestor replied looking in his direction.

"It won't stop staring at me" Lindir said with a low voice.

"What won't stop staring at you?" Erestor asked confused.

"This" Lindir said pointing to the smaller elf.

Erestor looked over Lindir to see the small elf. The elf was only about twenty or so, old enough to walk but not old enough to speak.

"How do you make it go away?" Lindir asked.

"He is an infant Lindir, not an it" Erestor told him.

"I don't care, make _it_ go away" Lindir hissed.

"That is very rude thing to say Lindir" Lord Celeborn piped up, catching everyone's attention.

Lindir growled, picked up a pear and gave it to the child "Here go away" The child took a bite and ran away happily. Lindir turned back to his own meal still grumpy.

"You do not like children Lindir?" Lord Celeborn asked.

"No" Lindir snorted.

"Why not? All elves love children" Celeborn continued.

"I've never liked children, I didn't even like children when I was a child" Lindir said.

All the elves at the table listened in an uncomfortable silence.

"You're still a child Lindir" Lord Elrond pointed out.

"And I still don't like children" Lindir retorted.

"Why not?" asked Legolas.

"Their loud and messy. Do I really need a reason?" Lindir replied.

"Well...no, but-" Legolas said, not knowing what he was trying to say.

"But nothing. I don't like kids, end of conversation" Lindir said and spooned a large portion of yogurt in to his mouth.

The elves at the table were silent as they ate, none of them could understand Lindir's hatred of children. Each child was a gift from the Valar. Lord Elrond and Erestor knew this was bad. This type of attitude would put many off wanted to adopt him. Couples who have children were defiantly out of the question, it looked like Lindir would not like a younger sibling.    

When Lindir was done eating he turned to Lord Elrond and said "I finished. I'll be going"

"Going? Going where?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Anywhere" Lindir replied.

"Oh no, you're staying here" Erestor said sternly.

"Why?" Lindir whined.

"Because you were invited to stay here" Erestor replied.

"That's right Lindir" Glorfindel said as he stood up. He approached Lindir and slung an arm around him "Why don't I show you around and we can have some fun?" he said happily.

Lindir looked around at the other elves and children running around and having fun. He furrowed his brows at the scene and removed Glorfindel's arm from his shoulder and said "No thank you. You're still too happy for me"

"Aw come on. We could make some flower crowns or we could even make you some friends" Glorfindel offered.

At the thought of making friends Lindir made a noise of disgust. Crouching down low he jumped into the air. He grabbed onto the wooden beams and hung upside down using his legs and faced away from everyone.

"Lindir! Get down from there before you hurt yourself" Lord Elrond said concerned.

"No" Lindir replied dismissively. Using some force he let himself swing backwards and forwards. Feeling the wind gently breeze through his hair relaxed him.

"Lindir please come down. You'll hurt yourself if you fall" Lord Elrond begged.

"If I fall and hurt myself it will be my own fault, no need for you to be concerned" Lindir replied. He knew if he fell he wouldn't hurt himself anyway. He was like a cat, always landing on his feet.

"I am the lord of Rivendell. I have to be concerned for everyone's safety here" Lord Elrond said sternly.

Lindir stopped swinging. Using his flexibility he bent himself backwards to look at Lord Elrond "You confuse me, my Lord" he said before turning away to swing again.

Elrond was about to say something again but Lady Galadriel stopped him "Leave him Elrond. He will not fall" she said.

Lord Elrond knew he could trust his mother-in-laws insight. He sat back down but still kept an eye on Lindir as he hung upside down and swung. 

When everyone at the table was done eating, they started to leave the table and go to the grassy field.

"Come and join us Lindir" Erestor said.

"Why?" Lindir asked.

"Because it would be a shame to waste the day" Erestor replied "Why don't you come down and join us on the grass. You don't really have to do anything"

Lindir stopped swinging and smiled to himself "You want me to come down?" he asked.

"That would be nice yes" Erestor said.

"Ok" Lindir said quickly and straightened out his legs. He let himself fall head first towards the ground. When he was close enough he stretched out his arms and he landed on his hands. Laughing at everyone's scared expression "Did I scare you?" he asked.

"I may have had a mild heart attack, yes" Erestor replied.

"Mission accomplished then" Lindir said playfully. Not bothering to stand on his feet again he walked on his hands instead. He followed Erestor until he found a nice place to sit. Lindir sat himself next to him and giggled.

"Something particularly funny?" Erestor asked.

"I scared you" Lindir said smiling.

"Of course you did I thought you were going to hurt yourself and there is nothing funny about it" Erestor said.

Lindir didn't want to argue anymore and decided to change the subject "So...What can I do?"

"How about you play cards with us?" Elladan said. As he and his brother sat down with them. They were soon joined by Legolas, Rumil, Orophin and Haldir.

Lindir smirked at them and said "Didn't you lose enough coin to me last time we played?"

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each grimly as they remembered the loss of their allowance and the lecture their father gave them afterwards.    

"There will be no betting or gambling during this game" Haldir said.

"Then what's the point in playing if you don't win anything?" Lindir asked.

"It's just for fun Lindir" Rumil replied "Come and play with us" he offered.

"No, sounds boring" Lindir scoffed. He laid down on his back, crossed his legs and closed his eyes.

"So you won't play with us?" Orophin asked.

"Nope" Lindir said dismissively.

"Fine. We'll play without you" Haldir said shuffling the cards.

"Have fun" Lindir said uncaringly.

As time went by Lindir listened to the sounds around him. He knew who was winning and losing at cards. He knew the conversations if people around him. This whole thing was beginning to irk him. He had plans and things he wanted to do today and he couldn't do them without somebody knowing. He wished there was a way for him to sneak away without anybody noticing. Or maybe he didn't need to sneak away. If he could be patient a little longer then maybe he could use Erestor to get away. An idea crept into his mind and he began to wait.

About two hours later Lindir sat up. He put a slight depressed look on his face and tugged on Erestor's sleeve.

"Yes Lindir?" Erestor said.

"C-Can talk you for a moment, alone?" Lindir asked.

Erestor wasn't sure what was wrong with Lindir so he obliged with his request "Very well" he and Lindir got up and went to an empty area "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I-I need to be along for a while. I want to go back to my room for a while" Lindir said.

Erestor was slightly suspicious of Lindir and asked "Why the sudden mood shift?"

"It's just, all of the noise and crowds. I'm not use to it. I just need a bit of time to be alone and then I will come back, I promise" Lindir explained.

Erestor was not going to let Lindir leave alone "Alright, I will take you back to the healing wing"

Damn! Lindir was afraid of this "Thank you" he said politely. Cursing to himself he let Erestor take him back to the healing wing. But how was he going to get him leave?

"Here we are" Erestor said as they entered the room.

"Thank you. Are you going to stay?" he asked.

"Yes. I cannot leave you alone" Erestor replied as he sat down in a chair.

"What about Lord Elrond won't worry about you?" Lindir asked.

"Lord Elrond knows I can come and go as I please. He will be fine" Erestor replied.

"What about me? Will he think I have run off?" Lindir asked.

"No, the others we were with will tell him that you are with me" Erestor replied.

 _'Oh for fuck sakes!'_ Lindir thought angrily. Now what? Erestor was too stubborn and too smart for him. Looks like his plan would have to wait.

After an hour Erestor and Lindir returned to the others. On the outside Lindir looked calm but on the inside he was fuming. Erestor had stuck to him like glue, there was no getting rid of him. Lindir was tempted to run and escape but that would mean people would try to find him. He had to think of something else.

Instead of sitting with the others Lindir sat at the food table to mope. Munching on a honeyed pastry he looked around the garden. His mind suddenly registered that no one was watching one. Not thinking about it twice he snuck away, through the bushes and into the trees.

Lindir felt giddy was excitement, finally he could go and find the dwarves. As quickly as he could he went back to his room grabbed a bag of gold and left. He remembered where Erestor told him the dwarves were staying and headed in that direction. When he arrived he found the dwarves with ease, thanks to their loud laughter. Climbing onto the roof above them he peered over the side and watched as they laughed and drank together. Before he could say anything his presence was noticed.

"Hey you!" a dwarf shouted. Catching everyone's attention "What are you doing up there?"

Lindir looked at the dwarf and replied "I'm here to ask if any of you do ink, you know tattoo's"

"Tattoo's? Why's that?" the dwarf asked.

"I need someone to finish mine. I've got coin" he said dangling the coin pouch. All of the dwarves looked at him sceptically, which he expected, but he waited for their answer.

"Elves don't have tattoo's" a dwarf replied.

"Well I do. So do any of you deal in ink or not?" Lindir asked.

The dwarves muttered in their own language before one of them spoke up "I do"

"Ah excellent" Lindir smiled and jumped down.

The dwarf introduced himself "My name is Loni"

"Just call me lad" Lindir said.

"Alright lad let's see this tattoo of yours" Loin said, not questioning his choice of name.

Lindir removed his tunic and moved his hair out of the way. He heard a few gasps of surprise, not surprising to him, and hoped that finally his tattoo would get finished.

"This is quite the surprise. I've never seen an elf with a tattoo before. I thought it was a taboo?" Loni said.

"It would appear so. I've had quite a bit of shit for mine since I got here, but no one told me it was a taboo" Lindir said uncaringly "Same goes for my earrings"

"Earrings as well? You're not a normal elf" Loin said.

"Why thank you" Lindir joked, earning a few chuckles.

"Alright let's have see. Sit down" Loin said.

Lindir sat down and let Loin examine his tattoo.

"So what needs to be done?" Loin asked.

"A piece of the dragons tail is unfinished, some of the petals need to be coloured in and the tree trunk is missing a few minor details" Lindir explained.

"I see. Well this should be easy to do. I have the equipment. It will cost about one hundred and forty gold.

Lindir was glad he had brought three hundred gold with. He opened his pouch and Loin.

"Thank you" Loin said putting the coins away "Do you want to get started today or do you want to wait?" he asked.

"Today is fine. I have nothing else to do" Lindir replied.

"Alright I'll get my equipment ready" Loin said as he prepared an area.

One the area was prepared Lindir laid down and let Loin get on with his work. He felt the prickling of the needles going in and out of his skin. He felt a slight tugging when the needles flicked underneath. Lindir looked at the other dwarves who were watching him with interest "Can't I get my tattoo done in peace?" he said.

"Sorry lad we've never seen an elf get a tattoo before that's all" one of them replied.

"And I've never had to tattoo one before. This is a first for all of us" Loin explained.

"I see, well now you can add it to your resume" Lindir joked.

"Haha I guess I can" Loin laughed.

"I don't really care if you look I just want this finished" Lindir said.

"If you really don't mind lad" the dwarves gathered around and watched in interest as an elf got a tattoo.

Not much time passed before a dwarf said "How bad does it hurt?"

"Not much. Why?" Lindir replied.

"I just thought you'd be crying be now" the dwarf said.

Lindir was offended by this but didn't let it show "I'm not going to cry over a small needle. There are worse things than this"

The dwarves didn't question him anymore. They sat peacefully, surprisingly dwarves could be quiet, and watched.

About an passed before Loin stopped "Alright lad, we're done for the day" he said.

"For the day? You're not done?" Lindir asked.

"Not yet" Loin replied.

"Then continue" Lindir said.

"Not today. Your skins getting red and sore. You'll need to wait for it to calm down before we go any further" Loin explained "If you have any salve I suggest you use it"

Lindir wasn't happy they stopped but he knew there was nothing he could do about it "Alright thank you Loin. When can I next see you?"

"Well I have some business with Lord Elrond tomorrow morning. So you would have to come by in the afternoon" Loin said.

"Alright. Thank you for today and I will see you tomorrow" Lindir put on his tunic and left.

"He really isn't a normal elf, is he?" Loin said.

"Nope" another replied.

As Lindir ran along the roofs he felt his back sting and throb. He would defiantly need to put some salve on it. Making his way back to the healing wing to find some salve he was stopped by a sudden shout of his name.

"LINDIR!"

Lindir landed on the nearest branch and looked for the source of the shouting. It was Rumil he landed next to him slightly out of breath.

"There you are. Where have you been?" Rumil asked.

"Nowhere special" Lindir replied.

"What do you mean nowhere special? Everyone's been looking for you. You just disappeared" Rumil said angrily.

"I got bored" Lindir replied coolly.

"So you just decided to go off without telling anyone?" Rumil asked.

"Yes" Lindir Replied.

"Why?" Rumil asked.

"If I told anyone two things might have happened. One I wouldn't have been able to leave at all, like before or two someone would have come with me, when I just wanted to be alone" Lindir explained.

"We've been worried about you. We didn't know where you had gone and someone thought you had left Rivendell altogether" Rumil said getting more upset.

Lindir groaned in annoyance "Why would you even care if I left? You don't even know me well enough to give a shit about me"

"That's not the point and I would like to get to know you Lindir, you just won't let me" Rumil yelled.

"Maybe you should take a hint then" Lindir yelled.

"I don't want to I-I" before Rumil could continue he noticed something on Lindir's back "There's blood on you tunic" he said as his face paled.

"What?" Lindir said confused and reached a hand behind his back. Sure enough his tunic was damp and spots of blood were visible.

Scared Rumil took another step back "What have you done?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's none of your business" Lindir replied.

Rumil took another step back "Then I'm going to tell everyone" he turned and was about the leave when Lindir grabbed him.

Lindir twisted Rumil's wrist behind his back and covered his mouth "You're not telling anyone" he threatened.

Rumil twisted and struggled to get out of Lindir's grip but to no avail, Lindir was not letting go.

Lindir knew he could hurt or knock out Rumil so he had to think outside the box "Calm down. If you stop I'll tell you what I did and I'll let you help me"

Rumil stopped all movement and was curious about what Lindir meant.

"Now then I'm going to let you go. You promise not to run off or tell anyone?" Lindir said.

Rumil nodded and was let go. He turned back to Lindir and said "Tell me what happened"

Lindir sighed and braced himself for any backlash "I went to see the dwarves that are in Rivendell and got some more work done on my tattoo. That's why I'm bleeding"

"You got another tattoo?" Rumil asked.

"No. The tattoo on my back isn't finished so I went to have some more of it done" Lindir explained.

"Oh I see. You said you needed help with it" Rumil said.

"Yes. It's a bit sore. I need some salve" Lindir said.

"Alright I'll help but maybe we should get Lord Elrond" Rumil suggested.

 _'Time for a little guilt tripping and manipulation'_ Lindir thought deviously "Oh no you promised not to tell anyone or are you going to break that promise to me?"

"What? No I-" Rumil spluttered

"I certainly hope you're not. That would make you a promise breaker and destroy any chance of us being friends. Do you want that?" Lindir asked.

"No of course not" Rumil said.

"Good because if you did I would never speak to you again" Lindir huffed.

"Look I promise I won't tell, let's just go and get you some salve" Rumil said.

Lindir smiled to himself and went with Rumil. The two of them went to the healing wing and found the right salve.

"Take off your tunic and I'll clean it and put this medicine on" Rumil said.

Lindir removed his tunic and let Rumil take care of his back. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of the blood on his tunic "How can I clean this?" he asked.

"Soap and warm water" Rumil answered. As he dabbed away the blood from Lindir's back he could help admiring the details "This is very nice" he said.

"Thank you"

"Does it hurt?" Rumil asked.

"No" Lindir said simply.

After Rumil had finished he helped Lindir to clean and dry his tunic "We have to go back to Lord Elrond" Rumil said.

"I guess so" Lindir agreed.

"When we get back we'll tell Lord Elrond where you were and he'll be able to-"

"We tell him nothing" Lindir interrupted in a dark tone "You promised not to tell him anything"

"But I can't lie to Lord Elrond" Rumil argued.

Lindir put his hands on Rumil's shoulders and said "You don't have to. All you have to say is you found me in the trees and brought me back. That's the truth right?"

"W-Well I don't-"

"Don't worry. You weren't with me when I was with the dwarves getting my tattoo done. You know nothing about that, right?" Lindir said.

"Yes"

"Then they don't need to know. I will tell Lord Elrond what I was doing and you just say you found me. Easy right?" Lindir said giving Rumil's shoulder a little squeeze.      

Rumil wasn't sure about this but he still answered "I guess so"

"Good, I knew I could trust you with this. Now let's head back, shall we?" Lindir said happily.

When the two of them arrived back at the fields Lord Elrond was furious "Where have you been Lindir?" he asked "You should not be disappearing like that. Do you have any idea how worried we were looking for you?"

"Not really" Lindir shrugged.

Lord Elrond furrowed his brow and sharpened his eyes "I don't like this uncaring attitude of yours Lindir, this has to stop" he said sharply "Where did you find him Rumil?"

"I-I found him in the trees" Rumil replied.

"Doing what?" Lord Elrond added.

"He was just moving about. Jumping from tree to tree"

"And before that?"

"I don't know" Rumil swallowed hard almost choking on his lie. He felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead. Would the Lord of Rivendell see through his lie.

"I see. Lindir you cannot go running off without telling someone" Lord Elrond said.

"Why not? I want to do things by myself. I hate being around so many people" Lindir complained.

"If you wanted to leave so badly then you should have said" Lord Elrond said.

"I did but Erestor would not leave me alone and then he made me come back" Lindir said stomping his foot.

"That is true. We did leave earlier. I didn't leave you because a child should not be left alone and you did promise you would return" Erestor said.

"Yes I did and I would have" Lindir said crossing his arms.

"I don't care about any of that right now" Lord Elrond sighed calming himself down "Lindir you must understand when someone disappears people worry about that person and it's worse when it's someone so young"

Lindir groaned in anger. There it was being called a child again, how he hated it.

"Lindir you leave me no choice but to ground you as punishment" Lord Elrond said sternly.

"But I'm not a boat" Lindir said confused "How can you ground a person?" he asked.

"Your analogy of the word ground is correct if we were talking about a boat, however when using the word grounded on a person it means something else entirely. A person who is grounded cannot go outside of their room or do anything entertaining. It is a punishment" Erestor explained.

Lindir felt his patience snap "WHAT!" he shouted "You-You cannot do that!"

"Yes I can. You need to learn a lesson Lindir. The lesson being that running off on your own without telling anyone has consequences" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir stomped around and started to swear "Fuck this fucking shit"

"Lindir stop. If you keep this up I will ground you for even longer" Lord Elrond warned.

"How long am I ground for?" Lindir asked.

"A week for now. But if continue on like this I will make it longer" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir wanted to yell and scream and smash things but he had a better idea "You can't ground what's not around" he smirked and leapt into the air. Landing on the wooden beams he ran away.

"Lindir! Lindir! Get back here!" Lord Elrond shouted, but Lindir didn't even look back.

"Should we followed him my Lord?" Haldir asked.

"Yes please, find and bring him back"

"Right away my Lord" Haldir replied and with his brother Orophin followed Lindir's path.

"Do not worry my Lord" Erestor said calmly.

"I do worry my friend. I worry that I am going to start getting grey hairs at this rate" Lord Elrond huffed.

Lindir knew he was being followed but he already had a plan. The elves that were following him couldn't see him in his hiding spot. It was the same hiding spot he used when he was lurking around Rivendell. The two elves passed him and he snickered. Now about this whole grounded thing. He couldn't stay in the healing wing for a whole week he'd go mad and he had plans with the dwarven tattooist tomorrow. He would have to remain hidden until this grounding was over.   


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next day Lindir had managed to evade the patrol that was looking for him, but now he had to deal with Rumil. He had accidentally let down his guard and Rumil had found him.

"Lindir please come back with me" Rumil begged.

"No, not until this grounding is over" Lindir argued.

"That's not how it works. Even if you hide for a week you'll be ground again and for a longer period of time" Rumil explained.

"What? That's so stupid. Lord Elrond cannot do this to me. What is his problem?" Lindir rambled.

"Lord Elrond doesn't have a problem, he just knows that you need to learn that the way you act is not acceptable in Rivendell or anywhere else for that matter" Rumil said, trying to stress the fact that Lindir was in the wrong.

Lindir groaned and ran his hand through his hair "Well then how else am I supposed to act?" he asked.

"With dignity, grace and respect" Rumil said proudly.

"I don't know how to act like that, I'd feel stupid" Lindir complained.

"We can teach you. That's what school is for" Rumil said.

"I don't want to go to school. Erestor told me I would be stuck in a room with other people, listening to someone else talk for six hours every day. Do you have any idea what that would be like?" Lindir asked.

"Yes. I have been to school" Rumil replied.

"Oh?" Lindir looked at Rumil interested and asked "What was is like?"

"I had good days and bad days" Rumil said simply "Lindir Lord Elrond wants you to experience life as an elf and not a thief. But he can't do that if you don't let him"

Lindir knew in his heart that Rumil was right, but he had been a reclusive thief for so long it felt unnatural for him to be or act like anything else. "Alright" Lindir sighed "I will go back and face Lord Elrond, but first I have some business to take care of"           

"Business? What business?" Rumil asked.

"It's just something I have to do" Lindir said skipping out on the details.

"Then I'm coming with you" Rumil said.

Damn! Lindir should have not said anything about business, but maybe he could use this to his advantage "I'm going back to the dwarves to get my tattoo finished, why don't you come with me?" he said.

"Really? You would take me with you?" Rumil said sceptically.

"Well you did say you were coming anyway, so why not?" Lindir noticed the twinkle of excitement in Rumil's eyes and knew he had him "However you can't tell anyone about it"

"Why not?" Rumil asked disappointed.

"Because you'll get in trouble" Lindir replied.

Rumil's eyes widened in surprise and he asked "Why would I get in to trouble?"

"Because they will know you lied to them yesterday about me" Lindir said.

"Wait a minute are you black mailing me?" Rumil asked angrily.

"No, I'm just pointing out some facts. Facts such as how much trouble you'll be in if you told anyone" Lindir said.

"Y-You'll be in trouble to" Rumil pointed out.

"I know, but I don't care, nor do I have anything to lose, like you and your brothers" Lindir said darkly.

"M-My brothers?" Rumil stuttered as he paled.

Lindir smirked wickedly and started to circle Rumil "Oh yes, not only would they be disappointed in you but they could lose their jobs, their positions in Lothlorien. Correct?"

Rumil felt his blood run cold as he listened to Lindir and started to believe him.

"And when others find out about it they might not be able to show their faces in public ever again" Lindir whispered in his ear. He grabbed Rumil's shoulders and looked him in the eyes "You wouldn't want that, right?"

Rumil swallowed hard, his throat felt dry so he shook his head.

"Good because I don't want that either. So you're going to come with me and help me with my tattoo and then neither of us will say anything about this, alright?" Lindir said.

Again Rumil nodded and followed Lindir to the dwarfs.

Lindir was so proud of himself. He had managed to gain an accomplice to his crimes, even if he was unwilling, now he just had to use Rumil to his advantage.

Lindir and Rumil arrived at the dwarves location late in the afternoon and Lindir greeted Loin "Hello Loin, I see you have everything ready"

"Aye I do" Loin replied "Who is this?" he asked when he saw the other elf.

"This is...a friend who wants to see how tattoo's are done and is going to help with the aftercare" Lindir replied.

Loin was sceptical and suspicious but he allowed it "Alright, just do not get in the way" he said.

Lindir took off his shirt, laid down and let Loin do his job.

Rumil watched in fascination and horror as the dwarf, Loin, stuck the needles in and out of Lindir's skin. Each time he wiped away any excess ink the more the tattoo looked complete.

"Can you finish this today?" Lindir asked.

"I think I can" Loin replied.

"That would be great" Lindir said.

"I'll what I can do" Loin replied.

A few hours later and Lindir's tattoo was complete "Thank you Loin" Lindir said gratefully.

"You're welcome" Loin replied "You know I can't wait to tell my family back home I tattooed an elf. No one will even believe me" he laughed.

Lindir laughed with him and after that he and Rumil left. He let Rumil clean and take care of his back in the healing wing and then decided it was time to face Lord Elrond.

"You won't tell anyone will you? You did promise" Rumil said panicked.

"I never promise anything, but I won't tell anyone. Let's go and face the music shall we" Lindir said smiling.

When the two of them entered Lord Elrond's office they cringed at the sight of his scowl.

"Where have you been Lindir?" Lord Elrond asked furiously.

"Around, avoiding everyone" Lindir replied casually.

Lord Elrond had to contain his anger at such a casual response "I think you've made it very clear how little you care about the trouble you have caused" Lord Elrond said. His words didn't seem to sway Lindir one bit "Lindir you have given me no choice but to punish you more severely. You are grounded for the next three weeks and during this time you will be escorted to a study room where you will get a taste of school life"

"What the fuck does that mean?" Lindir asked.

"Just for that language you'll be grounded for four weeks" Lord Elrond snapped. He claimed himself down and continued "I have hired a teacher by the name of Rilien to teach you some of the many things you will need to know. Such as reading and writing"

Lindir clenched his teeth and balled his fist in anger.

"This is not just a punishment, I want you to see this as an opportunity to learn" Lord Elrond said.  

"Fine then!" Lindir shouted and threw his hands up in the air "Do what you want, I don't care"

"If that's how you feel about it then allow me to introduce you to your escorts for the next four weeks" Lord Elrond said. He waved his hand and two guards stepped forward "This is Veryan and Herion. They will be escorting you to and from your room, to and from the study room-"

Lindir had heard enough and interrupted him "Basically they will be following me everywhere" he said.

"Yes they will" Lord Elrond replied.

"I have to admit you train your dogs well" Lindir laughed.

The two guards hissed in irritation at the comment.

"You're now grounded for six weeks. If you keep pushing me I will retaliate" Lord Elrond warned "Veryan and Herion have been given very strict orders to subdue you if you act out of line"

"Subdue me?" Lindir questioned.

"Yes. If you attack them or someone else, if you try to run away or if you steal anything. They will stop you and bring you to me" Lord Elrond made it sound like a warning in case he tried anything in the future "Now then this talk is over. Veryan and Herion will be taking you back to your room and you will stay there for the rest of the day. You will be woken up early tomorrow morning and be taken to the study room where Rilien will be waiting for you. After your lessons have ended you will join me and others for dinner where you will tell me what you have learned" he explained "I will see you tomorrow Lindir. Veryan and Herion if you would"

Veryan and Herion stood either side of Lindir and lightly grabbed his arms so he couldn't run away. The pair removed him from Lord Elrond's study and took him back to the healing wing.

"Are you alright Rumil?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Y-Yes I'm fine my Lord. May I be excused?" Rumil replied.

"Yes you may" Lord Elrond replied.

Rumil bowed politely and left grateful Lord Elrond did not question him further.

Lord Elrond sat back in his chair and sighed sadly. Things had gone better than he expected them to but he wished it didn't have to come to that. Still it would be a good opportunity for Lindir to get an education.

Lindir was not happy being practically dragged back to his room. He struggled to get out of their grip and walk by himself but they did not relent. When they reached the healing wing the guards practically threw in onto the ground, obviously in revenge for his comment about them being dogs. Lindir watched as the two guards took their position by the door.

Lindir stood up and dusted himself off "So You two are just going to stand there?" he asked. The two guards didn't answer. Lindir tsked, sat on his bed and summed up his situation. He was grounded for six weeks, he had to go to school tomorrow and he would be followed where ever he went. The only thing good about this day was he had managed to get his tattoo finished. He huffed in frustration as he tried to think of a way out of this.  


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next morning Lindir was awoken by Veryan and Herion yanking the covers off him and pulling him out of bed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two?" Lindir complained.

"Lord Elrond's orders. You are not going to be late for your first day of school" Veryan replied calmly.

Lindir scowled and put on some clean clothes. A tray was brought to the healing wing by a maid. It held a variety of food for him for breakfast. Lindir ate with his eyes closed feeling himself nodding off to sleep. When he was shaken awake again by Herion he slapped the hand away and growled.

Veryan and Herion were unimpressed with his attitude. After breakfast they guided Lindir to the class room.  

The class room was small enough for about seven elves to fit in. There was a large desk with a chair and a smaller desk in front of it. There was a black board and stacks of books and papers.

"Good morning" a male elf said walking towards them "You must be Lindir"

"Yes he is" Herion replied.

Lindir was annoyed when Herion spoke for him but he said nothing.

"Excellent, my name is Rilien" the male elf said introducing himself Lord Elrond told me you have never been to school. Is this true?" he asked.

"Yes" Lindir replied.

"Well then we had better get started. Lord Erestor left me a list of things he says you need to learn" Rilien said.

"Why did he do that?" Lindir asked.

"He says you have none of the basic skills someone of your age should know. Which is rather concerning" Rilien replied "Now come and have a seat so we can begin" he said pointing to the chair at the smaller desk.

Lindir glared at the chair before relaxing his face and sitting down.

"Now how about a few warm ups before we begin. We'll start with writing your name in Sindarin" Rilien said. He picked up the chalk and wrote Lindir's name in Sindarin "This is your name written in the Elvish language of Sindarin" he said.

"That just looks like scribbles" Lindir said shrugging it off.

"To the untrained eye I suppose it does look a little strange, but don't worry by the end of the day you will know some Sindarin letters and they won't look as strange" Rilien said confidently.

Lindir wished he could feel enthusiastic about this but he was too tired and after ten minutes he started to fall asleep. He was awoken by Rilien.

"You cannot fall asleep in class Lindir" Rilien said.

"I'm not a morning person" Lindir groaned.

"You will get used to it" Rilien chuckled "Now I want you to take this quill and paper a copy your Sindarin name from the board"

Lindir rolled his eyes and picked up the quill. He copied the scribbles that were on the board and handed the paper to Rilien when he was done.

Rilien examined the paper and hummed "Not bad for a first try. A few of them are off centre and missing a couple of lines, but you will improve"

It took Lindir almost an hour to learn how to write his name perfectly. When he looked at his name perfectly written in Elvish he felt pretty proud of himself.

"Very good Lindir. Now we shall move on to our first proper lesson, the Elvish alphabet" Rilien said. He wrote all the letters of the alphabet on the black board and said "This is the Sindarin alphabet. By the end of the you will be able to remember at least half of it"

Lindir seriously doubted he would be able to remember a bunch of scribbles in a day and he was still tired. As the day went on he fell asleep a few more times, managed to remember three letters of the alphabet and almost snuck out during lunch break. As he sat in his chair listening to Rilien talk his leg twitched with anticipation. Rilien told him there was only two more hours of school left and Lindir couldn't wait to leave.

"Alright Lindir class is over. You can leave after you have cleared your desk" Rilien said.

Lindir had a silent celebration in his mind and cleaned the desk.

"Very nice. Now let's go to dinner, shall we?" Rilien said.

"Why are you coming?" Lindir asked.

"Lord Elrond has invited me to dine with him after every lesson with you so I may report how well or how bad you have done" Rilien replied.

Oh dear, Lindir wondered what Rilien was going to tell Lord Elrond.

Lindir, Rilien, Veryan and Herion made their way to the area where Lord Elrond was having dinner.

Lindir inwardly seethed when he saw it was a full table. All of the leaders and their entourage were there.

"My lord Elrond" Rilien said.

Lord Elrond turned and smiled "Hello Rilien" he said. He approached the group and spoke to Lindir "Hello Lindir. How was your first day of school?" he asked, anticipating a good answer.

Lindir shrugged his shoulders.

Lord Elrond furrowed his eyebrows and said "That's not an answer Lindir"

"Meh" Lindir replied dismissively.

"That's not an answer either" Lord Elrond said.

"I don't know. It was just...Meh, boring" Lindir snapped.

Lord Elrond pursed his lips into a thin line unimpressed.

"Don't be fooled by his nonchalant attitude my Lord" Rilien said stepping in "He's actual done very well today"

Lord Elrond smiled at Rilien's comment "Has he now? Well then I look forward to hearing all about it"

The five of them sat at the table and Rilien told Lord Elrond of Lindir's accomplishments "He has learned how to write his name in Sindarin and can write five letters of the alphabet"

"Wonderful. You have done well Lindir" Lord Elrond said.

"I can write a few scribbles, big deal" Lindir said dismissively. Shrugging off any compliments.

"Sindarin is not scribbles" Thranduil said almost offended. 

Lindir shrugged and put some food into his mouth.

Erestor didn't like the way this conversation was going and decided to change the subject "Lindir today is the other nations elves are going to be here"

"They are leaving?" Lindir asked.

"They will be leaving tomorrow morning" Erestor replied.

Lindir was happy to hear this. He wouldn't have to deal with any of them anymore.

"Do you wish to see them off tomorrow?" Erestor asked.

"No" Lindir replied.

"Not even Rumil?" Erestor asked.

"Rumil is leaving?" Lindir asked surprised.

"Rumil is from Lothlorien. He will be leaving with his Lord and Lady tomorrow" Lord Elrond said.

 _'Damn'_ Lindir thought. There goes his one and only trump card "Fine I will see them off tomorrow" he said reluctantly.

"Wonderful. I'm sure Rumil would like to say goodbye to you to" Lord Elrond said.

After eating Lindir was escorted back to the healing wing where he spent the rest if the day. He played with the pack of cards until night and went to bed.

The next morning he was woken up again much to his irritation and was taken to the leaving party. The Lords and Ladies and their entourage of the other realms were all saddled up and ready to leave Rivendell.

 _'Good riddance'_ Lindir thought spitefully. He noticed Rumil and approached him.

"Morning Lindir" Rumil greeted.

"Morning" Lindir replied "So you're leaving?"

"Yes, along with my brothers" Rumil said.

"I'm kind of sad to see you go" Lindir lied smoothly.

"Really?" Rumil said.

"Yeah. You weren't too bad of a person" Lindir said "Don't really know you well enough to say anything else"

Rumil smiled amused and said "Well when we come back one day maybe we could get along better"

"I guess. Erestor told me school would help me socially, so maybe I would be better at socialising" Lindir said.

"I'm glad. Maybe one day you could come to Lothlorien and I could show you around" Rumil said happily.

"Again that's a maybe" Lindir replied.

After everyone said their goodbyes and happy travels the leaders left.

Lindir was glad they were gone. Less people to worry about. He was taken to school again where Rilien was waiting for him. The day passed by slowly and Lindir was fed up of waking up early and going to school already. The two guards that followed him would not be so easy to slip by. If Lindir wanted to get away with anything he would have to plan ahead carefully.  


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

It has been a week since Lindir had been ground, confined to the healing wing and been forced to go to school. He hadn't been able to do anything he wanted. He tried to escape to go and have fun and freedom even if it was just for a moment but Veryan and Herion were always able to catch him. Veryan and Herion were stronger and faster than him and he guessed it was due to their many more years of training.

Ever since Lindir had been confined to the healing wing he had been feeling odd sense of uneasiness and he wasn't sure why. Sleep seemed to evade him, his dreams were anything but peaceful and most mornings he woke up in a cold sweat. He wondered if his mind had subconsciously compared his situation to being imprisoned and was reacting badly to it. He shrugged off the idea and continued with things the way they were. After all there was only five more weeks until he was free again.

Lindir sighed as he listened to Rilien explaining the importance of cursive. In the week he had been going to school he had managed to remember the alphabet. Now he had moved onto sentences and penmanship. He noticed that the day was always split into three in the morning he would learn Sindarin, in the afternoon he would learn about mannerisms and lastly he would learn math.  

School ended as usual with Lindir cleaning up and then going to dine with Lord Elrond. He always got annoyed with Rilien telling Lord Elrond everything that he had done. The compliments, the praise he felt like he didn't deserve such praise because everybody could do these things.

"Lindir" Lord Elrond said.

"Yes?" Lindir replied.

Lord Elrond had noticed Lindir had started to say yes to reply to people instead of what his lesson with Rilien have gone well so far "I have been thinking maybe after two more weeks of being taught by Rilien you might want to consider moving on to the real school and be with other people your age. What do you think?" Lord Elrond said.

"I don't like other people" Lindir said dismissively.

"You will have to get used to other people some time Lindir" Erestor said.

"But you don't like other people" Lindir pointed out.

"That is not true. I don't like being disturbed while I work and that doesn't stop me interacting with other's while I do my daily rounds" Erestor replied.

"Erestor is right. Even if you don't like people you shouldn't let it affect how you live your life" Lord Elrond said agreeing with his friend "Now I think that after two more weeks you should spend one day in a proper class. Then if you don't feel like moving on you can go back to the set up classroom. What do you think?" he asked.

Lindir rolled his eyes and said "Alright fine. There's no arguing with you anyway"

"Very well then, in two weeks you will spend a day in a real class room" Lord Elrond smiled.

Lindir sighed and ate his meal. As usual he was taken back to the healing wing to spend the rest of the day. Playing card games by himself wasn't too bad. When night came he went to bed. He had started to go to bed early so he could wake up in the morning, not that it helped he still hated the morning. As Lindir slept a nightmare crept into his dreams.

*NIGHTMARE*

Lindir walked down a stone tunnel when a shadow appeared in front of him. The shadow appeared to be a human but then it transformed into a snarling wolf with piercing blood shot eyes and leapt at him. He turned to run away but now there was a wall behind him. The wolf stopped a few feet in front of him as the rest of the walls closed in on him. Lindir was trapped in a small room with the wolf blocking a door, the exit. Lindir sat in the corner of the room with his legs up to his chest and his head down.

*END OF NIGHTMARE*  

Lindir jolted awake and sat up. He realised that he hadn't been asleep for very long and groaned. He lay back down and tried to go back to sleep. Feeling uneasy he looked around the room conscious of everything around him and hyperaware of any sudden noises. He furrowed his brows and huddled under the covers. It would be a long night for him.    


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

As time went by Lindir found that every time he went to sleep the wolf in his nightmare would stalk him. The wolf would block the door, snap and bark at him. He didn't know what his nightmares meant but he wished they would end. Every night they seemed to get worse. The wolf got bigger, the room got smaller and he felt more afraid. He noticed that his lack of sleep had started to affect his mind. He swore he saw shadows moving and the eerie glow of eyes in the darkness.

Two weeks later and the day came. The day Lindir would be taken to a real classroom with other elves.

Lindir was in a foul mood as he dressed himself that morning. His nightmares had gotten worse and prevented him from getting much sleep and he was not looking forward to school. He looked at himself in the mirror and tied his hair back. Nothing fancy just a simple pony tail. When he was ready Veryan and Herion led him away. Lindir took note on the new route they were taking. He marked places in his head in case he got lost or wanted to sneak away. He knew he was getting closer to the school when his elven hearing picked up other voices talking and laughing. Turning around one final corner he saw other elves hanging around outside.

The elves were about Lindir's age and height. They were laughing and talking with each other and a few appeared to be playing some sort of game. Lindir's mood became worse when he realised these were the people he would be dealing with. The other elves stared at him as he walked past and went inside the room.

The classroom was much larger than the one Lindir had been using with Rilien. It had seats for about fifty elves. As he stepped in further everyone in the room went quiet and watched him. Then the teacher approached.

"Morning Veryan and Herion, nice to see you two" the teacher said and then he looked Lindir "Morning Lindir, do you remember me?" he asked.

"You're Handion" Lindir replied. He remembered meeting the snobbish elf when Lord Elrond showed him around.

"Glad to see your memory is well. We'll see about how well the rest of you is during class" Handion said almost sneering "Follow me"

Lindir followed Handion and looked at a seat Handion pointed to.

"You will sit here. At the front where I can keep an eye on you" Handion said.

Lindir shrugged his shoulders dismissively and sat down. He watched Veryan and Herion take their place at the door to keep an eye on his as usual. After a minuet the other elves in the room began to talk again, but much quieter. Lindir heard them whispering about him, not that he cared. He heard his name and the words bad, rude and dangerous associated with him. He smirked to himself and wondered if that alone would keep people away from him.

Handion rung the bell that was on his desk and the other students began to pour into the room. They took their seats and waiting for Handion to begin.

"Good morning class today we will be continuing our lesson on herbs of the wild" Handion said and began the lesson.

Lindir was only half listening to Handion's lesson the other part of him wanted to fall asleep. He resisted the urge to close his eyes and kept his focus on Handion. The last thing he wanted was to fall asleep and get embarrassed by Handion, as he looked like the type of person to do it. As the lesson went on Lindir took notes as best as he could remembering his Sindarin lessons with Rilien. He tried his best to copy what was on the chalk board but Handion wrote to fast.  

Three hours later and Handion let his students out for a break, but stopped Lindir "Lindir a word please" he said.

"What?" Lindir said rudely on purpose.

Handion scowled at his lack of manners but said nothing about it "I want to see the notes you wrote during class"

"Fine" Lindir replied and gave Handion his notes.

Handion took one look at the notes and furrowed his brows "What in the name of creation is this?" he asked.

"My notes" Lindir replied.

"These notes don't make any sense. The grammar and spelling is awful" Handion said.

"Did you expect anything less?" Lindir asked, knowing the answer.

"From you? No I did not" Handion replied "Sit back down"

"Why?" Lindir asked.

"So we can correct your mistakes" Handion replied.

"No I'm going for a break like everyone else" Lindir said and turned towards the door.

"Veryan and Herion stop him please" Handion said.

Veryan and Herion obeyed Handion's order and blocked the door.

"Come and sit down Lindir. We have much to talk about" Handion said.

"This is not fair. I sat through your lesson and worked as best as I could. I deserve a break too" Lindir complained.

"And you may still have a break is you stop complaining and sit back down" Handion replied.

"This is bullshit!" Lindir shouted.

"You watch your language. Now I will give you one last chance to sit down or else I will give you detention" Handion warned.

 _'Detention'_ that word echoed through Lindir's mind and made his blood run cold. Detention meant being locked away in a dark cold room, with little room to move around in and no food or water. Did parents really let teachers do this to their children? He wondered. Lindir was not going to let himself get thrown into the dark again. His eyes darted around the room until he saw an open window, his way out. He walked forward and made it look like he was going to sit down again, before getting close enough to run and jump out of the window. He heard Veryan, Herion and Handion call out his name, but he just kept running.

Lindir kept running until he reached the healing wing. He sat on his bed and tried to calm his wildly beating heart as a million things ran through his mind.

_'Maybe I should run? Maybe I should hind? Should I tell Lord Elrond that Handion was mad? I need to protect myself. Should I find a weapon? If I don't go to school anymore I'll be safe, right? RIGHT!?'_

His thoughts were so erratic jumping from one thing to another he didn't notice the others entering the room, until a hand touched his shoulder. He smacked the hand away and backed up against the wall.

"Lindir" Erestor said "What happened?" he asked.

Lindir was in too much shock to answer. He kept his eyes on Erestor, Handion, Veryan and Herion watching for any sudden movement.

"Calm yourself Lindir. What is wrong?" Erestor asked stepping forward.

"Don't" Lindir whispered.

Erestor took another step forward "I didn't-"

"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" Lindir yelled surprising everyone "Don't come near me"

"Lindir please-" Erestor stopped his sentence when Lord Elrond arrived.

"What is going on?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Something is wrong with Lindir. He is very upset" Erestor explained.

Lord Elrond looked at Lindir and saw his poor state "Lindir what happened to you?"

"You" Lindir hissed at the older elf "I trusted you"

"Lindir please calm down. I don't know what has made you so upset, but I want you to tell me so I can help" Lord Elrond said calmly.

"You said school would help me and I was starting to believe you. Until you sent me to study with him" Lindir said referring to Handion "I did as best as I could but he would have it and threatened to give me detention"

Lord Elrond was highly confused. Detention was not something to get so upset about "Lindir detention is not so bad" he said calmly.

Lindir looked at Lord Elrond in horror. He back up against the wall further and asked "Are you psychotic? How can you say it's not so bad?" as flashbacks flashed through his mind in become more apparent that his PTSD was effecting his state of mind and his actions "Being locked away in a dark room and starved. HOW IS THAT NOT SO BAD!?"

Lord Elrond understood what was happening now "That is not what a detention is. This is just another miscommunication. Lindir listen when a teacher like Handion says they will be putting you in detention all it means is staying behind after school for a about an hour"

 _'An hour...An hour'_ the face of the previous kind of thieves flashed into his mind "You-You sound just like him. He said an hour and that hour turned into weeks" Lindir said.

"I don't know who you mean Lindir, but you must calm down" Lord Elrond said stepping towards him.

"Don't come near me or else I'll-" Before Lindir could finish something shiny caught his eye. He looked over a saw a pile of scalpels. Someone must have left them behind. He quickly glanced at Lord Elrond and then grabbed a few of them.

Seeing the sharp objects in Lindir's hand Veryan and Herion took action. They drew their swords and stepped in front of their Lord.

"Enough!" Lord Elrond said loudly "Lindir you must stop this. I will not be able to stop Veryan and Herion from doing their duty if you attack" he warned, but Lindir didn't look like he was listening.

"I won't back in the dark" Lindir replied and threw two scalpels. He picked up a handful and threw more.

Veryan and Herion blocked the projectiles and attacked Lindir. They wouldn't kill or hurt him they would try to knock him out.

With a scalpel in each hand Lindir did his best to fight against Veryan and Herion. Blocking their swords with scalpels was difficult, but using his sleight of hand he managed to push them away far enough for him to jump out of the window behind him. He was prepared to run far away but turning around the corner he was caught and knocked out by Glorfindel.  

Glorfindel carried the unconscious Lindir back into the healing wing. He lay him on the bed and let Lord Elrond take care of him "Are you alright love?" he asked Erestor.

"I'm fine dear" Erestor replied "My Lord Elrond what is wrong with him?" he asked.

"It looks like the word detention triggered a very bad memory and caused his PTSD to emerge" Lord Elrond replied.

"Oh dear. I knew he needed therapy" Erestor said.

"Indeed he does, but for now let's focus on one thing at a time" Lord Elrond said "We'll let him rest and talk to him when he wakes up"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Darkness...All around him...Dark, bleak and loneliness. Lindir knew he was dreaming. He was dreaming of nothing. He was just floating in a dark void. He wondered when he would wake, if he would wake. He saw something red coming towards him from the darkness. Then there was two red dots. As they got closer he realised they were eyes. Unable to move he could do nothing but watch as the blood red eyes got closer to him, until a flash of sharp teeth snapped at him waking him up from his nightmare.

Lord Elrond heard Lindir gasp and rushed to his side. Lindir was covered in a cold sweat, breathing erratically and his dilated eyes were twitching back and forth. Elrond knew he'd either had a nightmare or a bad flashback. He prepared a needle with a relaxing solution and injected it into Lindir's arm. He placed a cloth into a bowl of cold water, rung it out and placed it on Lindir's forehead. The medicine had already begun to work Lindir's breathing returned to normal and his eyes began to focus.

When Lindir was calm enough Lord Elrond called out to him "Can you hear me Lindir?" he asked.

After the teeth had snapped at him Lindir had woken up. He still couldn't move. Lying there his eyes were looking but not really seeing. Breathing uncontrollable. Heart beat rapid. It was impossible to describe. Suddenly there was a shadow, a sharp sting in his arm, a cooling sensation on his forehead and then a voice. Who's shadow was that? Who's voice was that? Mother? Father? WHERE AM I!? He panicked.

"Lindir, please stay calm" Lord Elrond said soothingly. He took Lindir's hand in his own and rubbed it calmly "It's just me Lindir"

Lindir felt something warm on his hand and squeezed it slightly. He slowly turned his head to look at his hand. He saw something, no someone was holding it. His eyes followed the arm that was connected to the hand until he was sure he was looking at a face. His vision began to focus again and he recognised the person as the Lord of Rivendell. He tried to speak to ask where he was, but his throat was so dry and sore all that came out was a raspy noise.

"I'll go get you some water" Lord Elrond said. He tried to let go of Lindir's hand to get water, but Lindir would not let him go.

 _'Why? Why am I holding his hand so tightly?'_ Lindir wondered _'Why do I crave this warmth?'_

As much as he didn't want to Lord Elrond let go of Lindir's hand and got some water. He helped Lindir sit up and helped him to sip the water. He put the glass away and asked "Can you speak now?"

"Yes" Lindir replied. His voice was raspy and quiet, but he could speak.

"Thank goodness. You gave me quite the scare today" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir didn't really remember what happened, but for some reason he felt sad. He gripped onto Lord Elrond's sleeve and put his head into his chest.

Lord Elrond wrapped his arms around Lindir like he would his own children "It is alright Lindir. You're safe now" he said stroking Lindir's hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes until felt Lindir's grip on his sleeve loosen and his breathing became steady. He lay Lindir back down to sleep again and called for an assistant.

"Keep an eye on him. Wake him if he seems distressed and let me know when he wakes up" Lord Elrond ordered. The nurse bowed and obeyed his order and he left. He went back to his office and called for Erestor.

Erestor entered his Lord's office and asked "You called for me my Lord?"

"Yes I did. I want you to look into some counselling for Lindir" Lord Elrond replied.

"Yes my Lord" Erestor replied "How is he?" he asked.

"He had a nightmare or flashback and woke up with a start. His throat is sore no doubt from the yelling. I comforted him until he fell asleep again and left him with a nurse" Lord Elrond replied.

"I see. Will he be alright?" Erestor asked.

"I do not know, but personally I do not think he will" Elrond replied honestly "His grounding is over and so is his schooling. He will not being going back until he is better"

"Of course. I will gather any available councillors and tell them of your request" Erestor said.

"Thank you, however I want you to make sure the councillor will not treat him poorly. Make sure they understand the situation and that they are sympathetic with him" Lord Elrond said.

Erestor understood why Lord Elrond was being so specific "I think I know the perfect elf for the job my Lord"

"Good. I will leave this task to you then" Lord Elrond replied "Good bye my friend"

"Good bye" Erestor replied leaving Lord Elrond to do his work.

The elf Erestor had in mind was Adlanna. She was kind and gentle, with a husband a two children. She knew the pain of death after losing her father and brother in during the war, which inspired her to be a councillor for people with PTSD who had survived the war. She would be able to help Lindir. He called for one of his assistants to find Adlanna and send her to his office. He waited for about ten minutes before she finally arrived.

"You called for me my Lord?" she asked with a polite bow.

"Yes, please take a seat" Erestor replied, pointing to the seat on the other side of his desk. When Adlanna had sat down he began to explain to her what Lord Elrond wanted "Lord Elrond would like Lindir to attend counselling sessions to help him with his past and his PTSD. I think you might be able to help him"

"I have heard of the incident involving Lindir, the poor boy it must be so hard on him" Adlanna said.

"Lord Elrond specifically asked for someone who would not treat Lindir poorly and would be able to sympathize with him"  

"I understand and I will do my best my Lord" Adlanna replied.

"Now just moment before you get involved there are a few things you need to know about. Lindir is difficult to deal with. He might run away, he might not listen-" Erestor started to explain but Adlanna interrupted him.

"I understand my Lord. He might be difficult to deal with, but do not worry I have many ways to deal with difficult people. You can count on me" Adlanna said.

"I hope so, Lindir has not been easy to deal with" Erestor sighed "I'm not sure when Lindir will come to you for counselling, but be prepared for him"     

Adlanna giggled and said "Don't worry I'll do my best"

"Thank you Adlanna you are dismissed" Erestor said.

"Very well" Adlanna replied and left.

Erestor wasn't sure what to make of the situation. He knew Lindir would refuse to talk to Adlanna and would try to run away, but did Lord Elrond have a plan? Erestor certainly hopped so.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next time Lindir opened his eyes his awoke from a dreamless sleep. He sat up groggy and confused, he couldn't remember what had happened.

"Lindir?" a female voice said.

Lindir looked at the female elf confused _'Wasn't there someone else there before?'_ he thought. He tried to remember what had happened but all he could recall was a warm hand and a heartbeat in his ear.

"Lindir are you ok?" the female elf asked.

"I-I don't know" Lindir replied "What happened?" he asked.

"You were knocked out by Glorfindel after you apparently had a break down" she replied.

"I did?" Lindir said confused still unable to remember what he had done.

The nurse told Veryan to go and get Lord Elrond and then she stayed with Lindir. She made sure Lindir had a drink and stayed calm, until Lord Elrond arrived.

Lord Elrond entered the healing wing calmly and thanked the nurse for he help. He waited until she had left to talk to Lindir.

"How are you feeling Lindir?" he asked.

"Better, but I don't know what happened" Lindir replied.

Memory loss was common for someone who'd had a breakdown. Lord Elrond didn't want to remind Lindir what had happened but it wasn't right to lie to him "You had a mental breakdown after Handion mentioned detention. You thought he was going to put you in a dark room and leave you there to starve. This obviously triggered some bad memories for you"

Lindir still couldn't remember exactly what happened but he did remember Handion saying detention, running away and then yelling, lots of yelling. He rubbed his head and whispered "I'm sorry"

"It is alright Lindir, no one could have seen this coming" Lord Elrond replied "Because of this incident Lindir I have decided to end your grounding and schooling"

"You have?" Lindir asked confused.

"Yes. It would seem that the stress got to you in a bad way" Elrond replied.

"So Veryan and Herion won't follow me anymore?" Lindir asked with hope.

"No they will not" Elrond replied.

That was music to Lindir's ears. Freedom again at last.

"What am I going to do if I'm not going to school anymore?" Lindir asked.

"Instead of going to school you will be attending therapy" Lord Elrond replied.

"I don't want to" Lindir said bluntly.

"It doesn't matter whether you want to or not the point is you need to" Elrond insisted "I am trying to be calm about this Lindir but you are not helping when you refuse something you clearly need" he explained.

Lindir felt guilty about what had happened and he had already apologised about the incident so why make things difficult again "Alright I'll go" he said.

Lord Elrond was a bit surprised by Lindir's sudden compliance but did not question it "Thank you Lindir. Now get some more rest" he said as he stood up.

"What will happen now?" Lindir asked.

"Now you will rest until tomorrow and after breakfast you will be seeing Adlanna for therapy" Lord Elrond replied. He called the nurse back and I told her to watch over Lindir while he went back to work.

Lindir watched Lord Elrond leave him alone with the female elf again. He covered himself up with the quilt and wondered what this therapy would entail.

The next day Erestor was the one who woke Lindir up. He had been allowed to sleep in a little longer than before and was taken to breakfast.

"Where is Lord Elrond?" Lindir asked.

"He is working" Erestor replied.

"I see" Lindir said.

After breakfast Lindir was taken to a part if Rivendell he hadn't seen before. It had lots of plant and flowers in the windowsills and the smell of mixed potpourri wafted through the air. Lindir admired the scenery as he followed Erestor.

"Here we are" Erestor said. He put his hands on Lindir's shoulders to make sure Lindir was listening to him "Lindir you have a bad habit of running away from people however I want you to stay and listen to Adlanna. She is going to help and she is a very good person. She knows about love and loss so please do not upset her"

Lindir down at his feet and said "I will try, but I promise nothing"

It was better than nothing Erestor sighed "Thank you for trying just be nice to her. Now in you go" he said and guided Lindir in the door. He hoped Adlanna could handle Lindir as he went back to his office.

Standing in room Lindir saw a beautiful elf sitting at a desk. She had light brown hair and a warm glow to her cheeks. But despite this Lindir was still weary of her.

"Hello Lindir. I'm Adlanna" she said "I've heard a lot of things about you"

"Nothing good I suspect" Lindir said already forgetting about his manners.

"I've heard mixed things about you" she replied "Please come and sit down"

"Where?" Lindir asked.

"Anywhere you feel comfortable" she replied.

Lindir did as she said and sat on the floor where he was standing "Like this?" he said.

"If that is where you feel comfortable" Adlanna said in good humour.

Lindir was a little a unnerved by her calm humour and asked "What happens during therapy? I heard the doctor ask embarrassing and personal questions"

"Well the questions can sometimes feel personal but I won't do that today. Today I will showing you some ink blots" Adlanna said picking up some sheets of paper.

Lindir lifted an eyebrow in confusion "Ink blots?" he said in disbelief "They look like somebody spilled ink on paper, how is this helpful?" he asked.

"They will help me get a better look into your psyche" Adlanna replied.

"My what?" Lindir asked confused.

"Your psyche is your soul, mind and spirit. When someone like me what's to know more about a person's psyche we do what is known as a psychological test" Adlanna explained "These ink blots may look a bit silly however when you look at them you might start to see patterns, shapes, objects people or animals. I want you to at them and tell me what you see" she said and showed Lindir the first card. Unbeknownst to Lindir she was not just writing down his answer she was also writing down his behaviour and watching his movements.

Lindir shrugged his shoulders and dismissively said "It's a blot of ink"

"Alright and this one?" Adlanna asked showing him the next card.

"An ink stain" Lindir replied.

"Alright and this one?" she asked showing him the next card.

"Ink blob" Lindir replied irritated at her seemingly calm attitude towards his rudeness.

"And this one?" she asked showing the next card.

Lindir smirked and said "Your breasts"

"And this one?" she asked undeterred by his previous answer.

Lindir was sure she hadn't heard him before and said something even ruder "A penis"

"Ok and this one?" she asked.

Lindir clenched his hand and angrily replied "A man fucking a cow"

"And in this last one?" she asked.

"This is stupid!" Lindir said angrily "I just said some really rude things and you act like I never said them. Why?" he asked.

"Because I asked you what you see when you look at these ink blots and if you can see a penis or a man fucking a cow then that's what you see" Adlanna replied using the same language as him "Now what do you see in this last picture?" she asked.

Lindir when she swore and said dirty words. He thought she would have blushed or stuttered but she didn't "I see nothing" he replied.

"Alright then on to the next activity" she said and pulled out some toy building blocks. She put them on the floor and said "I would like you to build something using these blocks please"

"Like what?" Lindir shrugged.

"Anything you want" she replied.

Lindir looked at the blocks and scoffed "I don't want to"

"Alright" she said and wrote something down "And finally the last thing I want you to do is tell me how you felt about today" she said.

"How I felt? I felt bored and think this was a waste of time" Lindir replied.

Adlanna wrote down Lindir's answer and said "Thank you for today I will talk to you tomorrow about your results"

"So...so I can just go?" Lindir asked suspiciously.

"Yes the session is over" Adlanna smiled.

Lindir shrugged his shoulders and practically ran out the door.

Adlanna watched Lindir and read her notes. She had made notes about everything from his personally to his actions and facial expressions. She knew he would need a lot of help, but she would persevere no matter what.

Lindir took a deep refreshing breath as he ran away from the therapy room. He was going to go and do what he wanted but suddenly he bumped into a familiar elf.

"Oh hello Lindir" Glorfindel greeted "Is therapy over?" he asked.

"Yes and if you'll excuse me" Lindir said and trying to get passed him.

"Hold on a moment I have some news for you" Glorfindel said stopping Lindir "The training area is free today and thought that we could go and make use of it" he said excited.

"Can I use a real sword?" Lindir asked.

"No" Glorfindel replied.

"Then what's the point?" Lindir huffed.

"The point is to not hurt a non-hostile opponent, which is why we will both be using wooden swords" Glorfindel replied "Come on it will be fun and free you from some stress"

 Lindir thought about saying no and leaving, but he hadn't done any training in ages so maybe just this once "Alright"

The golden haired warrior smiled widely and slung his arm around Lindir "Wonderful! I will show you how we train in Rivendell"

Glorfindel lead Lindir to the training ground and grabbed a couple of wooden swords. He noticed Lindir was staring oddly at the sword "Is something wrong Lindir?" he asked.

"This feels odd. I want my real swords back" Lindir replied.

"I'm sorry but I cannot give them to you" Glorfindel said sadly.

"I know. So how do we start?" Lindir asked.

Glorfindel showed Lindir some basic warm ups before starting to fight. The two of them fought like they did when they first met and Glorfindel was holding back again.

After being knocked back Lindir asked "Why are holding back?"

"Because this is not real Lindir. We don't need to hurt each other" Glorfindel replied.

Lindir scowled and charged at him with a shout. Every time he hit Glorfindel's sword he said "Fight. Me. For. Real"

Glorfindel had to stop this so he grabbed Lindir's sword and yanked it from his hands "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because when you train its hurt or be hurt. If you aren't good enough then you deserve to be hurt" Lindir explained.

Glorfindel was saddened by this. Whoever had taught Lindir this was wrong and deserved to be hanged. He looked at Lindir sternly and said "That is not true and that is not how we do things here" he dropped his stern expression and said "Whoever taught you this Lindir was wrong in so many ways" he hugged Lindir and said "You don't have to hurt people to survive here"

Lindir felt his angry disappear and he apologised "I'm sorry. I just thought you saw me as weak and went easy on me" he confessed.

"You not weak, you have proven this. You took on a lot of elves that outrank and you can fight me with ease" He said reassuringly "Plus you've got piercings and tattoos something no other elf would dare to have" he added.  

Lindir chuckled and said "Can we leave? I'm done with training"

"Sure. Let's go eat" Glorfindel said. He returned the wooden swords and took Lindir to the balcony where food was being served.

Lindir and Glorfindel sat next to each other and had a friendly chat about how Lindir got his tattoo. He was almost done with his story when Erestor joined them.

Erestor was surprised to find Lindir and Glorfindel on the balcony eating and talking together. He was supposed to have just met his husband so they could have dinner together but this was a surprised. He wasn't sure what to make of the two of them conversing so casually. He sat down next to Glorfindel and greeted him.

"Hello my raven" Glorfindel said sweetly and kissed him "How have you been?" he asked.

"Over worked" Erestor replied.

"Aw" Glorfindel cooed bring him in for a hug "Don't worry raven I will make you forget all about your work tonight" he winked.

"Not in front of Lindir" Erestor said.

"Yes not in front of me, you might warp my fragile innocent mind" Lindir said jokingly.

"Enough you" Glorfindel warned.

"You don't have worry about anything Erestor I know what two men do in the bedroom" Lindir said.

Erestor squinted his eyes and asked "How do you know such things?"

"Men told me all about sex and how babies are made" Lindir replied "Also I take it your the bottom Erestor?" he asked.

Erestor was flabbergasted at the question and refused to answer "You shouldn't know about such things at your age" he said.

"Well I do" Lindir said bluntly "How old do you have to be to know about sex then?" he asked genuinely curious.

"One hundred years old, when you have graduated to secondary school" Erestor answered.

"Secondary school?" Lindir questioned.

"It is the school you go to, to further your education" Glorfindel said.

"Am I in secondary school?" Lindir asked.

"No you are in elementary school. Because of the age you have started school you are far behind everyone else and will stay in elementary school until you have completed the same amount of school work and years as everyone else" Erestor explained.

"How long will that be in total?" Lindir asked not liking how long he will be attending school for.

"Well a elf starts elementary school at fifty and moves onto secondary school at one hundred and then graduates from secondary school at two hundred, so in total that would be one hundred and fifty years. And then after that there is training for you career which will take even more time" Erestor explained.

Now it was Lindir's time to be flabbergasted "I'm stuck in school for one hundred and fifty years!?"

"Well no you have to make you for the years you missed in preschool, so you will be in school a bit longer" Erestor said.

"How much longer?" Lindir asked.

"As long as it takes" Erestor replied.

Lindir put his face in his hands and groaned in aggravation. He was not looking forward to this at all.

After eating Lindir left Glorfindel and Erestor alone to get cosy with each other. He took a leisurely walk around Rivendell until his nose smelt something good. He jumped along the roof until he found the source and the smell coming from a kitchen. He jumped down and as fast as he could swiped a few sweet pastries from the table. He ran away and went to sit in a tree by the pond. Munching on his treats he wondered what Adlanna had written about him and what her results were. He was half looking forward to finding out and half not wanting know. Well no matter he was going to see her tomorrow anyway so his state of mind didn't really matter. The only thing he wanted to focus on right now was the sky turning colours with the setting sun.    


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

In Lothlorien the Lord and Lady were having tea and cake with their granddaughter Arwen.

"I'm glad to hear that my father and brothers are doing well" Arwen said.

"Indeed they are" Lord Celeborn replied.

"Rivendell had become interesting after they found Lindir" Lady Galadriel added.

"Yes you've mentioned him a lot. He is a thief raised by men, yes?" Arwen asked.

"Yes it is a tragic tale with some rather unfortunate circumstances" Lady Galadriel said.

"Where did he come from?" Arwen asked.

"He came from a small village far from any city's and outsiders rarely came close to them. There are many undiscovered villages like this" Lady Galadriel replied.

"And it was attacked by orcs?" Arwen asked.

"Yes he was the only survivor" Lady Galadriel replied. She told Arwen of Lindir's life after his village was destroyed.

"How awful" Arwen said "Is there nothing you can do?" she asked.

"He doesn't trust people so easily and even went so far as to call Galadriel a witch and avoid her" Lord Celeborn said sipping his tea.

"I suppose that is fair after everything he has been through" Arwen said a little downcast "Still I would like to meet him" she added.

"You will when you go home, but don't be to hopeful on making friends with him and Valar forbid you pick up his dirty language" Celeborn said.

Arwen looked at her grandfather a little confused and he elaborated for her.

"He swears a lot and said some very foul things especially to Thranduil" he said.

"What did he say?" Arwen asked.

"Nothing that we should repeat here or anywhere else" Celeborn replied.

After Lady Galadriel had finished her tea she excused herself from the table. She made her way up to her private balcony and called for Rumil.

Rumil arrived at his Ladies request and bowed to her "You called for me my Lady?" he asked politely.

"Yes Rumil please sit down I wish to talk to you" she said in a soft tone.

"Y-Yes my Lady" Rumil stuttered. He sat at the table as he was asked and wondered what she wanted to talk to him about.   

Lady Galadriel sat on the other side and said "I want to talk to you about Lindir"

"Of course my Lady" Rumil replied.

"You wish to get to know Lindir more, do you not?" she asked.

"Yes my Lady" Rumil answered.

"Why?" she asked.

"I just felt like he needed a friend and he is young like me, w-well I mean not as young as me but young enough" he explained.

"You have a good heart Rumil, but it is easily manipulated" she said a little concerned.

Rumil looked at her confused and said "I do not understand my Lady"

Lady Galadriel did not want to upset Rumil but she knew he had to know the truth "Lindir is lying and manipulating you. He is using you to his advantage. He has no interest in being friends" she said bluntly and truthfully. She watched Rumil's face fall from confused to hurt and felt his pain.

Rumil knew she wasn't lying to him, she never lie to anyone about such things. He felt so foolish "Why?" he asked.

"He saw you as an advantage to get what he wants. Such as getting his tattoo finished and then blackmailing you into keeping quiet"

Rumil's pain was replaced by anger and he wanted to march back to Rivendell and slap Lindir "I-I will never forgive him" Rumil spat "Next time I'm in Rivendell I'll make him apologise and then I'll tell Lord Elrond what he did"

"You have every right to be angry however you should know that your anger will not help" Galadriel said.

"Why not?" Rumil asked.

"Because Lindir's know nothing else" Galadriel replied "He only knows how to lie, cheat, steal and manipulate"

Lindir thought about it and let out a sigh "I'm not going to make friends with him anymore"

"Anger is not the answer Rumil" Galadriel said "Lindir does not trust anyone making friends with him was a fools folly"       

"I don't feel like making friends with him anymore" Rumil said.

Galadriel put a hand on top of his and said "He will want your friendship later on in life and he will be sorry about what he has done. Be patient until then"

Rumil felt himself calm down at her touch and said "Very well my Lady"

She smiled at him and let him go back to his duties. She looked over the balcony and sighed. Their talk had gone well. Her insight had allowed her to know about what Lindir was doing to Rumil and she made it her responsibility to tell him. Rumil was young, soft hearted and sometimes very naive a perfect target for someone like Lindir to manipulate. She felt sorry for Rumil but the truth had to be known. Rumil would probably tell his brothers, who would get angry and tell others, who would tell others and then Lindir would have a poor reputation in Lothlorien as well. Things would not look well for Lindir if he came here, not that she or her husband would let him into Lothlorien. No Lindir would need to repent his actions and become more like an elf, respectful and polite.

Rumil was furious as he marched down the halls to get back to his post. He was so angry with Lindir and himself because some how deep down he knew he was being used by Lindir. Well he won't be fooled next time. The next time he saw Lindir he would give him an ear full.

Rumil did his job and other tasks and hours later he went back home. He lived with his brothers in a three bedroom tree house close to the other guards of Lothlorien. He took his armour off and put it away neatly. He put on his comfy clothes and laid down on his bed. His brothers would be back from their patrol soon and was going to tell them everything.

Haldir and Orophin knew something was wrong with their younger brother when they came home and found him moping in bed. Haldir being the oldest took charge he sat next to Rumil and asked "What is wrong Rumil?"

"Lady Galadriel asked to see me today, wanted to talk to me. She told me how Lindir didn't want to be friends and how he was using and manipulating me" Rumil replied.

Haldir and Orophin weren't surprised Lindir was highly untrustworthy and they had warned him to stay away. His brothers felt sympathy for their younger brother but they knew they were going to have to be stern with him.

"Well we did warn you Rumil. You brought this upon yourself" Haldir said.

Rumil flinched he knew that tone was coming and pulled his knees to his chest and sighed.

"Do not despair Rumil. At least now you know what he is like and you no longer need to concern yourself with him" Orophin said.

Rumil made a low whining noise and said "Your right, I was foolish even the Lady said so"

"It was a little foolish of you, but you shouldn't think on it too much" Haldir said as he ran his hand through Rumil's hair. He and Orophin comforted Rumil before going and cooking their supper.

Meanwhile in Mirkwood Legolas was training with Tauriel and telling her about his experience with the elven thief.     

"He sounds like a handful" she said releasing an arrow at the target.

"He is" Legolas releasing his arrow "He said some rude things to a lot of people including my father. He was furious and ordered me to stay away from him"

"What did he say?" Tauriel asked curious.

"Well he flicked a grape at his face and then told him to suck a horses dick" Legolas said lowly so no one else could hear him.

Tauriel looked at Legolas in shock and asked "How is he still alive?"

"Lord Elrond intervened and then Lindir ran away" Legolas answered.

"He is lucky. If he was here Thranduil would have locked him away and _accidentally_ lost the key" Tauriel said releasing another arrow.

"True, but I do feel sorry for him" Legolas said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because he is not as lucky as we are. We know who we are and where are home is he doesn't. It makes me wonder who he would have been had he not become a thief" he explained.

Tauriel thought about it and realised Legolas was right. Had the elf been raised in Mirkwood he would have been completely different "I would like to meet him one day"

"Father would never allow him come here" Legolas said hitting a bulls eyes.

"Then one day I shall go to him" she said with determination.  

Legolas chuckled and continued training.

Meanwhile inside King Thranduil's office Thranduil was ranting to his butler Galion about how insulted he felt during his visit to Rivendell.

"I tell you Galion that young elf will never step a foot in my Kingdom" Thranduil said pacing around his room.

"He sounds like a delinquent but maybe it is only a phase" Galion said "When Lord Elrond has taught him to-"

"I don't care!" Thranduil said cutting Galion off "Do you have any idea what he did to me? What he said?"

"Yes my Lord you have said six times now" Galion replied trying not to roll his eyes.

"Well I'll tell you again. If he ever comes here I want him locked away in the dungeon and if you get a chance I want you to _accidentally_ lose the key" Thranduil said.

"Yes my Lord" Galion said sighing. He bowed before leaving his King to enjoy his wine and started the walk back to his own quarters. When he was back in his room he burst out laughing. He had never known anyone brave enough to disrespect Thranduil in such away. Flicking food at his face and telling him to suck a horses dick, he couldn't help himself he had to laugh. One day he greatly looked forward to meeting the elf brave enough to go against the king.    


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next time Lindir was sent to Adlanna he sat on the floor away from her again and stared at her. He thought if he did this she would become uncomfortable and tell him to leave, but it didn't work. She had made him look at ink blots again and he gave her rude answers, but again she did not budge. She was indeed a worthy foe.

Adlanna placed the wooden blocks on the floor again and said "Do you want to build something Lindir?"

"I am not moving from this spot" Lindir replied.

"Alright then I want you to do something else for me" she said "I want you to tell me about the first time you stole something"

"No" Lindir replied a little bit ashamed.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because it is none of your business" Lindir replied.

"Very well. This ends today's session. I will see you tomorrow" Adlanna said waving good bye to Lindir as he ran out of the door.

Lindir wondered what he was going to do for the rest of the day. It was still morning and there was no one around to watch over him so maybe he could do whatever he wanted. The first thing he wanted to do was go and break into the barracks to get some training done, but was disappointed when he saw the training fields were full. There was no chance of him getting away with breaking an entry.

Lindir's next idea was to go to kitchens and get something sweet to eat. He entered one of the kitchens but was quickly shooed out by the head chef. Disappointed and a little bit hungry he went to another kitchen and asked politely if he could have something to eat, but was kicked out again. At his wits end with the unfriendly cooking staff he ran back in the kitchen and snatched a bowl of pastries and a bottle of fruit drink. He escaped the angry staff with ease and climbed a tree to eat his prize. The pastry was jam filled and sweet, the fruit drink tasted freshly squeezed. Once he'd had his fill he wondered what else he could do.

Lindir sighed loudly at his boredom and longed for the days where he was free. Then he had a thought, what if he went swimming again to find treasures? Yes that was a perfect idea. He jumped from tree to tree and make his way to the lake. Again he was angered and disappointed when there were other people swimming and having fun it the water. He clenched his fist and was about to leave but was stopped by two voices. 

"Hello Lindir" Elrohir said.

"We can see you" Elladan said.

Lindir looked down at the two of them and rolled his eyes. He jumped from the tree and stood with his arms crossed "What?" he said.

"Come and play with us" Elladan said.

"No" Lindir replied.

"Aw come on we'll have some fun" Elrohir said.

"Have fun how?" Lindir asked.

"Well we could go swimming, play on the swings or we could play some other game" Elladan replied.

"Do you have any coin on you?" Lindir smirked.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other embarrassed and Elrohir said "Not after losing to you we don't. Are allowance got cut to teach us a lesson about gambling"

"Oh" Lindir said disappointed he could try and cheat them out of their gold again "Well then I don't care, I'm leaving"

"Don't go come and play" Elrohir insisted.

"I don't play" Lindir said "And why are you two playing you aren't children?" he asked.

"No we're not, but it's are day of and we want to have some fun and you should too" Elladan said.

Lindir thought about it and wondered if he could cheat anyone else out of their gold. He kept his smile to himself and said "Fine but only because I have nothing else to do"

"Alright" The twins said together and pulled Lindir towards the lake.

Lindir let himself be dragged towards the water before stopping at the edge. The twins started to remove their shirts and Lindir asked "What are you doing?"

"Let's have a race. We'll go swimming and see who's faster" Elladan replied.

Lindir was unimpressed and said he didn't about such petty things. As the twins tried to convince him it would be fun none of them noticed the group of four elves plotting just a few feet away.

The group of elves about the twins age watched as the twins and the elven thief talked by the water.

"Isn't that the elf that stole from the kitchens?" one asked.

"Yeah and he stole from the caravans and attacked Glorfindel and his team" another answered.

"Why are the twins talking with someone so dangerous?" another asked.

"Who knows but if I was lord Elrond I would have put him in prison" the other said.

"He can't. That elf is only ninety years old, he's a baby" another one said.

"No way a baby wouldn't know how to take on the Balrog slayer" the first one replied.

"Or steal from my mother" the last one said spitefully.

"What did he steal?"

"He was stealing from the kitchens when he first got here. Scared my mother a lot, she thought it was a ghost" he replied.

"I remember that all of the kitchen were scared"

"Yeah and I'm going to teach him a lesson" the elf said.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to give him a playful shove into the water" he replied and started to walk towards Lindir.

Unaware of the danger coming closer to him Lindir kept talking to the twins "Look you two I really don't-" his sentence was cut short when he was shoved from the side. Using his fast reflexes he put his hands on the ground, lifted his legs so his feet went under the persons armpits, he lifted them into the air, threw them over his body and into the water and then landed safely on his feet.

The other elf landed in the water with a loud splash and was laughed at by the twins.

"That was amazing Lindir" Elladan said.

"Yeah serves him right" Elrohir laughed.

The other elf swam to water's surface spluttering and was helped out by his friends.

"I'm leaving" Lindir said and walked away. The twins followed and tried to change his mind, but he was not listening.

Two hours passed and the twins were still following Lindir. No matter what he said or did they would not leave and eventually gave up. He had been wondering around Rivendell while the twins told him about where they were and he felt like he was on a tour. It wasn't too bad at least they weren't dull like Erestor when they explained things.  

"You halt!" someone shouted.

The three elves stopped and watched two guards come towards them.

"Lord Elrond wants to see you" one said at Lindir.

"Why?" Lindir asked genuinely confused.

"Just come with us" the other guard said.

 Lindir did as they said and followed them as did the twins. They all entered Lord Elrond's office and saw three familiar elves with him. One was the cook from this morning, the other was the boy from the lake and the other was familiar to Lindir somehow.

"Glad you are here Lindir" Lord Elrond said "Please take a seat"

Lindir squinted his eyes and put up his guard as he sat down.

"I heard some troubling things from these three elves. The cook here says you stole from the kitchen and this young man says you threw him into the lake. Is this true?" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir thought about his answer and prepared his comeback "Yes, however there are two sides to every coin, just like there are two side to every story"

"I am well aware of that saying" Lord Elrond replied.

"Good, then you know why I did these things?" Lindir asked.

"No I do not" Lord Elrond replied.

Lindir chuckled and looked at the elves with a snide look on his face "Oh I see, but I'm not surprised" he said in a mocking tone. He crossed his arms and crossed one leg over the other and turned back to Lord Elrond "Glad to know I'm not the only elf that lies to you"

"Lindir please stop speaking in riddles and tell me what happened" Lord Elrond said a bit irritated.

"I'd rather they tell you, but I know they won't so alright. I stole from the kitchens because I was hungry and even though I had asked nicely for something to eat I was turned away. I threw that elf into the lake because he attacked me and my body moved in self defence" Lindir explained, telling the truth though and through.  

Lord Elrond hummed in thought and turned to the three elves "Is this true?" he asked.

The three elves shuffled uncomfortably and said nothing.

"Of course it's true and they know it. That's why they can't answer you" Lindir taunted.

"No just a-" the cook said but was cut off by Lindir.

"Did I not ask you for something to eat politely?" Lindir asked her.

"What did he say to you?" Lord Elrond said in a tone that left no room for arguments.

"He-he said, I mean he asked if he could have something sweet" the cook replied.

"And what were his words exactly?" Lord Elrond asked.

The cook shuffle nervously and replied "He said 'May I have something to eat please, maybe something sweet'"

"That was very polite" Lord Elrond said "Why did you refuse him?" he asked.

The cook look at their feet ashamed.

"Because they are to prideful and don't like me. So like they hungry beggar I was I stole to eat" Lindir answered.

"I see" Lord Elrond said unimpressed y the cook's attitude "And why did you push this young boy into the water?" he asked.

"Because he attacked me" Lindir replied.

"Is this true?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Of course not" the woman answered "My son would never-" this time it was Lord's Elrond's sons that spoke up.

"Yes he did. We saw him" Elrohir said.

"We were standing right next to Lindir when he pushed him for no reason" Elladan said.

"Is this true young man?" Lord Elrond ask not doubting the words of his sons.

The young elf clenched his fist and said "Yes I was going to push him into the water to teach him a lesson"

"What lesson? I've never even met you before" Lindir said.

"You scared my mother when you were stealing from the kitchens" the elf said.

"You know I thought  you looked familiar" Lindir said to the female elf.

"I think I've heard enough" Lord Elrond said he faced the three elves and said "You should not have provoked him into doing the very things you have complained about. It is a cook's job to feed anybody that comes into the kitchen hungry and you said he asked politely, I see no reason why you kicked him out. And you young man should not provoke fights. What if you have pushed him into the water and he couldn't swim and he drowned. You need to start thinking about you actions. And you should all be a shamed of yourselves for wasting my time"

Lindir chuckled at the downcast faces of the elves.

Lord Elrond looked at Lindir and said "All of you are in the wrong Lindir"

"But I was polite to the cook and didn't lie to you and I threw him in the water in self defence. How am I in trouble?" Lindir asked shocked.

"I can understand why you did these things, but you still took the wrong course of action" Lord Elrond replied "Now I will hear no more of this and everybody is going to apologise to Lindir and Lindir you will apologise to them"

Lindir didn't want to but he didn't want to stay here much longer "Only if they do it first" he said.

"They will" Lord Elrond said looking at the others.

The cook was the first to apologise "I am sorry Lindir"

Lindir hesitated for a moment and then apologised "I'm sorry. Also I took the basket and bottle to another kitchen"

"Oh well that is good" the cook said a little surprised.

"And now you young man" Lord Elrond said.

The elf glared at Lindir and Lindir glared back.

"I don't want to" the young elf said.

"You will be reprimanded if you don't" Lord Elrond warned.

"Fine. I'm sorry" he said.

"I'm sorry" Lindir said "I'm also sorry for scaring you" he said the older female elf.

She was surprised by this and said "Thank you" then she turned to Lord Elrond "I'm sorry for the trouble my son has caused I had no idea he started it. I will sure to teach him a lesson later on"

"Very well. I think this situation has been resolved. Everybody can leave now" Lord Elrond said. After everybody had gone he sat back in chair and rubbed his forehead. He was glad the situation has been resolved but sad it had happened in the first place. If anyone complains about Lindir again he will have to not believe them right away and listen to Lindir's side of the story before making any assumptions.

Meanwhile Lindir had decided to give the twins the slip and went off on his own. He was feeling pretty down after the whole ordeal and went back to his bed in the healing wing. Lindir didn't leave the room until the next morning when he was sent to Adlanna again.

Adlanna knew something was wrong with Lindir when as he sat in the corner and toyed with a leaf.

"Is there something wrong Lindir?" she asked.

"No" he replied.

She knew he was lying and asked again "Is there something bothering you?"

Lindir shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.

Adlanna left her seat and sat in front of Lindir "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Something happened yesterday" Lindir replied.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I went to the kitchens and I politely asked for something to eat but I got kicked out so I had to steal something to eat" Lindir explained.

"Oh dear. Did you get in trouble?" she asked.

"Sort of. The cook was in more trouble for starting it" Lindir said.

"And this upset you?"

"No what upset me was the fact that I acted nice and polite like everyone else but got refused and had to turn stealing as usual" Lindir explained "Many people have told me that if I acted nice I wouldn't have to steal and yet I did what people said I should and still had to steal"

"I understand this would hurt anybody" Adlanna said as she put a hand on top of his head "However you must know that just because you acted polite doesn't mean people will trust you automatically. These things will take more time"

"Right" Lindir said quietly.

"I think this will do for today" Adlanna said.

"But it's not been an hour yet" Lindir said confused.

"I know but I can see you are in no mood to continue, so you can go" she replied.

Lindir still looked confused but took the opportunity to leave.

Adlanna smiled as Lindir left the room and wrote down an important note on her parchment 'Day 3 with Lindir and I finally made my first bit a progress with him'     


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Over the next two months Adlanna had made a bit more progress with Lindir. He had started sitting in the chair next to her, he did the ink blots with normal answers and he used the building blocks to make a bridge. The only thing he was still refusing to do was share his feelings, but Adlanna wouldn't push him.

Lord Elrond, Erestor and Glorfindel had also noticed a change in Lindir. They noticed he had become calmer, swore a little less and sometimes offered to help them do chores. He still kept his distance from most people and was still weary of new things, but they were glad for the progress he had already made.

If only they knew what he was doing in the shadows.

Lindir was proud of his acting and manipulation skills. Who knew a few good deeds and less swearing would get people to trust him a little more and stop following him around. During his spare time he snuck out into the training field and picked the lock to the weapons storage. He would take a few weapons and then train, before cleaning up and putting them back. And other time's he would go swimming and look for treasures. He had amassed a nice little horde in his hidden drawer in the healing wing. And it wasn't just money he found, oh no, he also found glass beads, keys, locks, small ornaments, small jars, broaches, bracelets, hair clips and much, much more. He had found so many trinkets that he had to expand his hiding hole. He took up the floor boards to keep things in. Finding so many treasures filled him with so much joy.

Another thing Lindir did was listening in on school lessons. He knew it was unusual and could have probably asked someone if he could attend, but he found it much more interesting learning in his own way. He was surprised to find himself admitting this, but he had actually learned a lot by listening in. Because of this he had been able to read a book from back to front, albeit a very small thin book, but a full book none the less. And he felt proud of this accomplishment.

In his next session with Adlanna Lindir used the blocks to make a castle tower.

"Very nice Lindir" Adlanna said.

"Thank you" Lindir said shyly.

"And finally how do you feel today?" she asked.

"Fine" Lindir replied with a shrug.

"Lindir you've been seeing me for a while and there is something new I wish to ask you" Adlanna said.

"What is it?" Lindir asked.

"I want to know about you're past" Adlanna replied.

"My past?" Lindir said a bit suspiciously.

"Yes. I was wondering if you would tell me something about you're past. Something like when you first became a thief" she explained.

"Why do you want to know about that?" Lindir asked.

"Because I want to help you with your problems and do to that I need to know the cause of those problems. You don't have to tell me anything personal if you don't want to, so maybe you can tell me something small?" she replied.

Lindir looked at her with untrusting eyes. The more he thought about his past the less he wished he remembered. There wasn't much he could tell her that wouldn't result in her asking more intimate questions. He was about to tell her there was nothing he wanted her to know, but then he came up with an idea.

"Alright" Lindir said and took a deep breath "I don't winter. I don't like cold weather"

"Really?" she asked writing down notes.

"Yes. Because when I was younger I almost froze to death"

"Oh you poor dear" Adlanna said sadly.

"There I've told you something. Happy?" Lindir said.

"Yes and no. I'm glad you've opened up a little, but it was such a sad memory" Adlanna replied honestly.

"Are we done?" Lindir asked.

"Yes, you may go" Adlanna said. She watched Lindir leave and took a look back at her notes. She frowned when she read the words _'almost froze to death'_ elves don't feel the cold like other races and for Lindir to have felt it so badly meant he must have been very young when this happened. She should have asked how old he was.

Lindir left Adlanna's office feeling good about his answer. He used her words against her in a bid to not make her ask more questions. He told her what he didn't like and told her his reason for not liking it. So no more questions were needed, right?. Feeling chuffed with himself he decided to go to the weapons storage and practice some archery.

When Lindir got close to the weapons storage he made sure the area was clear before making his way to the door. He pulled his lock picks from his hair and started to pick the lock. When he had successfully picked the lock he opened the door and went inside. To Lindir's absolute horror there was Glorfindel and two guards looking at him with disapproving eyes.

"Uh-oh" Lindir whispered.

"Uh-oh indeed" Glorfindel said crossing his arms.

Lindir shot them a quick nervous grin before turning around and trying to flee. He was stopped by Glorfindel grabbing him and picking him up. He flailed about in his arms before stopped and folding his arms in anger and scowling.

"Are you done?" Glorfindel asked referring to Lindir's temper tantrum.

"Yes" Lindir huffed.

"Good. Then it's off to see Lord Elrond" Glorfindel said. He put Lindir down, but refused to let go of his hand and took him to go and see Lord Elrond.  

Lindir let himself be dragged off to see Lord Elrond and braced himself for whatever was going to happen.

Glorfindel knocked and waited outside of Lord Elrond's office. When he heard his Lord beckon him in he went inside with Lindir.

"Hello my Lord" Glorfindel said.

"Hello Glorfindel" Lord Elrond replied looking up from his work "What is going on here?" he asked when he saw Lindir.

"We have found the one who has been breaking into the storage room" Glorfindel said.

"Oh Lindir" Lord Elrond sighed in disappointment.

Lindir wasn't sure why but the older elf's sad tone made him sad.

"Sit down please Lindir" Lord Elrond said pointing to a chair.

Lindir sighed and sat down.

"Why have you been breaking into the weapon storage?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Because I wanted to train" Lindir answered.

"You're too young to use the training field. Breaking an entry was not the right thing to do" Lord Elrond said.

"I know" Lindir said.

"Then why did you do it?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Because I wanted to" Lindir replied.

"Lindir you cannot do this like this just because you want to, especially if it is the wrong thing to do" Lord Elrond explained "How have you been breaking in?" he asked.

"I picked the lock" Lindir replied.

"Where did you get the lock picks?" Lord Elrond asked.

"I found the metal and made them myself" Lindir replied.

"Well I'm glad you have been honest about this situation. Now I want you to hand over all of your lock picks" Lord Elrond ordered.

Lindir glared and then sighed in defeat, he could always make more later. He pulled a couple of lock picks from out of his sleeve and placed them all on the desk.

"All of them please" Lord Elrond insisted.

Lindir rolled his eyes and pulled another few from his boot.

"And the rest" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir groaned and pulled the last of his lock picks from his hair.

"Thank you. I will make sure these are disposed of" Lord Elrond said "Now for the next few weeks you will be helping Glorfindel set up the training field at five in the morning to make up for your actions"  

"Five in the morning!" Lindir said with disbelief "For fuck sake"

"Language Lindir" Lord Elrond warned "Now I suggest you go back to your room and think about what you have done"

"Let's go Lindir" Glorfindel said and led Lindir away. As the two of them walked down the path Glorfindel asked "Why would you do something like this? I thought we were starting to come to an understanding with one another "

"Because I'm still me and I'll still do what I want whenever I want" Lindir replied with a smirk.

"Well I certainly hope doing what you want when you want will now include going to bed early and waking up early" Glorfindel chuckled.

Lindir didn't respond to Glorfindel's heckles and went back to his room. He said good bye to Glorfindel and lay on his bed. He was not looking forward to tomorrow morning at all. Feeling bored he opened up the floor board and admired his treasure hoard _'It's nice to have things'_ he thought.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next morning Lindir was disturbed from his sleep by a cheerful Glorfindel. He groaned in annoyance, but got up with little fuss. He followed the golden haired warrior to the training field and helped to set it up. He hadn't realised before how much work went into setting up the training field and asked Glorfindel about it.

"Do you always do this by yourself?" Lindir asked.

"Not always. Most times the twins will help me. When they are away I will ask the others to volunteer" Glorfindel answered.

"I see" was Lindir's only reply.

When they had finished setting up Glorfindel asked Lindir if he wanted to get in some morning practice.

"Would Lord Elrond allow it?" Lindir asked.

"I think he would since I am here to watch over you" Glorfindel smiled "Since you can't have weapons we will do some hand to hand combat"

"Fine" Lindir said and took a fighting stance.

Glorfindel took his own fighting stance and said "We will start with some basics"

"Basics? I am not an amateur, you should know this" Lindir pointed out.

Glorfindel didn't want to be too rough with Lindir, but he did know Lindir could hold his own, so he made a compromise "How about we fight for points? We get a point every time we knock down our opponent. We don't have to be too rough or use basic moves, just don't cheat. First to ten points wins"

"Sounds fine" Lindir said agreeing to Glorfindel's conditions.

Glorfindel nodded and began the countdown "Three...Two...one...go!" and then the two elves began to fight.

Lindir concentrated on blocking Glorfindel's until he saw and opening and made a strike for it. Glorfindel saw through Lindir's attack and grabbed his wrist. He gave in a small twist and knocked Lindir off his feet.

"I believe that is one point for me" Glorfindel boasted.

Lindir scowled and got back up "The next point will be mine" he said. He threw a few punches which Glorfindel blocked, his fourth punched however was a diversion. He moved his right hand to strike at Glorfindel's left and when his hand was grabbed he used the weight of his body to move Glorfindel's arm out of the way and used to open space to his advantage. Using the palm of his left hand he uppercut Glorfindel's jaw and knocked him down. He smiled smugly and offered a helping hand.

"Didn't see that coming" Glorfindel said impressed grabbing Lindir's hand and rubbing his jaw.

The two took their stances and started their sparing again. Glorfindel had managed to grab Lindir's left  arm to stop him from moving and kicked him in the back of the leg. Lindir not wanting to lose again used his right arm to catch himself on the ground and kicked his leg into the side of Glorfindel's face. The two of them tumbled to the ground and gained a point each.

Taking their stances again they charged at each other. Glorfindel had made Lindir drop his defence and jabbed him in the chest. Lindir knew he was going to fall so he grabbed onto Glorfindel's sleeves. He fell, kicked Glorfindel in the stomach and flipped him onto the ground. Again they each gained a point.

Gaining their composure they began again. Lindir had always been a bit of a sore loser and decided to take the match up a notch. He grabbed Glorfindel's left arm and swung around his body. He latched onto Glorfindel's back. He put his fists together and bashed Glorfindel in the head. Glorfindel fell like a rag doll clutching his head.

"Another point for me" Lindir said smugly and got off Glorfindel.

Glorfindel groaned and said "You don't have to be so rough" he stood up and took his stance.

Lindir charged and started to jab at Glorfindel. Glorfindel blocked until he knocked his foot into Lindir's and grabbed a hold of his wrist. He twisted his arm behind back and wrapped his other arm around his neck. Lindir was familiar with this hold and knew how to get out of it. He balanced himself on his left leg and moved his right leg backwards. His leg went in between Glorfindel's leg and using all of his strength Lindir lifted Glorfindel off the ground flipped him over his body. Glorfindel landing with a thud and stared at Lindir in shock.    

Lindir bent over Glorfindel and said "Five to three, I'm winning"

"I have the feeling you're not one for losing" Glorfindel said.

"Not even a little bit" Lindir admitted.

Glorfindel sighed and got back up. Before the two of them could start again they were interrupted by a pair of familiar voices.

"Good morning!" Elladan and Elrohir greeted as they approached the two.

"Are you two sparing?" Elladan asked.

"Yes we are" Glorfindel replied.

"Can we join you?" Elrohir asked.

"No, this is a one on one match" Lindir replied sternly.

"You may sit on the side lines and watch, but do not interfere" Glorfindel said.  

The twins looked disappointed, but did as they were told. They watched Glorfindel and Lindir face off and charged at each other. They knew Glorfindel was holding back, but were impressed that Lindir was able to keep up. They weren't really surprised as they remembered their fight with Lindir when they were trying to capture him. Just watching the two of them was getting them both pumped up and both wanted to challenge Lindir to a sparring match.

The longer Lindir fought with Glorfindel the more he learned about his movements. Glorfindel would fake a left punch to kick right and fake a right kick to jab with his right hand. Learning your opponents movements was key to winning a fight. Lindir noticed a shift in Glorfindel's movements and knew he was going to make a grab for him and Lindir let him. He let himself be caught and held from behind so he could kick his leg high enough to kick Glorfindel in the face. When Glorfindel let go and was in a daze Lindir kneed him in the stomach, jabbed him three times in the same spot and when he feel to his knees Lindir raised his leg high in the air and dropped his heel onto the back of Glorfindel's head. Another point belonged to him.  

The twins clapped at Lindir's victory and cheered for Glorfindel to get back up.

Glorfindel rubbed the sore spot on his head and got back up. _'That was a very powerful kick'_ he thought _'Lindir is not holding back, like he was when the match started'_ he realised. When he was back on his feet he faced Lindir and said "I think that is enough for the day Lindir"

Lindir looked at him surprised "But neither of us have won yet" he pointed out.

"I think I will call this your victory since you have more points" Glorfindel said not wanting to set Lindir off "My students will be here soon and I will need to attend to them. Why don't you go and have breakfast? You've earned it" he suggested.

Lindir wasn't happy that the match had ended like this, but he had won and he was hungry so he decided to leave.

When Lindir left Glorfindel sighed in relief and sat down.

"Why did you stop?" asked Elladan.

"It was just getting good" said Elrohir.

"It was getting dangerous" Glorfindel replied "Lindir doesn't have much control of his strength when it comes to training. He will need to learn how to control himself a little better, before I will train with him again" and to prove his point he showed them a small spot of blood from where Lindir had kicked him in the head. It was alright to use a lot of strength against an enemy, but it was not alright to use that amount of strength against someone during training. Lindir would need to learn the difference. 

As Lindir made his way to the kitchen's he bumped into Erestor.

"Good morning Lindir. You're up early" Erestor said slightly surprised.

"Yeah, it's because I got caught breaking into the weapons storage" Lindir confessed.

"Ah yes, Glorfindel told me about that last night" Erestor said "I take it he showed you how he sets up the field?" he asked.

"Yes he did. I also kicked his ass during a sparring match this morning as well" Lindir said smugly.

"Did you now? I am positive he took it easy on you" Erestor said rubbing off Lindir's smug attitude.

Lindir chuckled and said "Yes he did, but I did knock him on his ass a lot. He even ended the match early because he couldn't take anymore"

"I'm sure that is not true" Erestor said "He has training today with others he probably stopped the match so he could get on with his work"

"That's true" Lindir replied.

"If that is true, why did you tell me differently?" Erestor asked.

"I wanted to see how you would react to your boyfriend getting his ass kicked" Lindir replied.

"I wouldn't react at all. I know he is safe here in Rivendell. Should he get hurt he would be taken care of" Erestor said "Also he is not my boyfriend he is my husband" he added.

Lindir pouted at Erestor's cool attitude and wondered if Erestor worried about Glorfindel when he was put in charge of capturing him "...Fool" he whispered.

The two of them went into the kitchens and got their breakfast before going their separate ways. Lindir wondered what was happening with the younger elves in school and decided to go and spy on them.

Moving in the trees with a predator like silence Lindir got in his usual position and listened to a male elf teaching Sindarin. Lindir thought back to when he was being taught Sindarin by Rilien. He actually didn't mind being taught by that elf. Rilien often let Lindir work at his own pace and praised even the littlest amount of effort and improvement. He sometimes wondered why Rilien wasn't teaching when he had came to watch classes, but still no matter.

After the lesson had ended Lindir had learned more Sindarin and wondered if he could read another book. He left for the library and casually walked in. He scanned the shelves for a small, thin book he could probably finish. He found what he was looking for ad picked it up. The front of the book read 'Works of Art' Lindir didn't know what it was about, but it seemed interesting. He sat in a seat in a corner and opened it up. The book was full of pictures, art by various artists. There wasn't much reading involved only the names of the artists and the descriptions of the art.

Lindir spent quite a long time reading the book. He wanted to be able to read every single word, remember every single name and take in all of the wonderful pictures. Lindir had always loved art, when he broke into rich people's homes he sometimes admired the works of art they had displayed on the walls. He turned the page and scowled at the next picture. It was a painting of the Kinslaying at Alqualonde. He remembered Erestor telling him about it. He stared at the picture looking at every detail. He really did not like that painting. Elves killing each other, and for what? He himself had many opportunities to kill. From the guards that chased him to the robbery victims that fought back. He never did though and he hoped he never would.  

"Lindir?"

The sudden voice broke Lindir out of his thought's. He turned to the source and came face to face with Lord Elrond.

"Lord Elrond?"

"I thought it was you" the older elf smiled "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Um, reading" Lindir replied. He thought that was obvious.  

Lord Elrond raised an eyebrow and asked "You can understand Sindarin?"

 _'Shit'_ Lindir thought. He couldn't tell him the truth "No, it just has a lot of pictures in it" it wasn't a complete lie and thankfully Lord Elrond brought it.

"I see, well you look like you are enjoying it" Lord Elrond smiled.

"Is there something you wanted?" Lindir asked as he closed the book.

"Nothing really, but while I am here I would like you to come with me for a talk" Lord Elrond replied.

"A talk? About what?" Lindir asked.

"Just a talk about how you have been" Lord Elrond answered.

Lindir was highly suspicious about that answer. He knew that Adlanna told Lord Elrond everything from their counselling sessions so he should know how he was doing. Despite his suspicion Lindir decided to go. He put the book back and followed Lord Elrond out of the library.

"What did you want to talk about?" Lindir asked.

"I was wondering how you liked Rivendell, now that you have been here for a while" Lord Elrond replied.

"I think it's fine" Lindir answered.

"That is good. And how about the people here?" Lord Elrond asked.

"They suck" Lindir replied rudely.

Lord Elrond didn't like the answer, but was not going to play this game with him "Surely not everyone here is bad. Is there anyone you like or would consider a friend?" he asked.

Lindir thought about Adlanna, Rilien, Glorfindel, Erestor, the twins and Lord Elrond. They had all been nice to him and they didn't really annoy him like they used to. He guessed he would call them...less of a nuisance than before. But friends? No never. He didn't need friends.

"There is nobody here like that" Lindir replied dismissively.

"That is a shame, but who knows maybe one day that might change" Lord Elrond said "What if we were to change it right now?" he suggested.

Confused by this Lindir asked what he meant.

"Simple, allow me to become your first friend"

"You be friends with me?" Lindir said before laughing "Good grief, a Lord befriending a thief. What would your people think?" he joked.

"I am serious Lindir. Let me be the first to offer my hand in friendship" Lord Elrond said not really appreciating Lindir mocking tone.

Lindir stopped laughing and glared "I do not accept and this conversation is over" and with that he jumped over the railing and disappeared into the trees.

Lord Elrond watched Lindir run away. He had tried and failed to get closer to the younger elf again. He was hoping Lindir had opened up more. After what he had read from Adlanna's reports Lindir seemed to have become more talkative and co-operative, but it looked like he would have to wait a little bit longer.

After their disastrous so called talk Lindir had taken to stealing sweets and wine from the kitchen and then hiding on a roof. He scoffed his stolen goods, from fruit tarts to jam filled pastry and drank the crispy wine. He wondered what punishment would await him if he got caught stealing from the kitchens again. He got rid of the thought with another swig of wine. So what if he got caught and punished, it wasn't his fault nobody is in the kitchen to watch over their food and drink.

Lindir wondered why Lord Elrond had asked him to become friends so suddenly. He had told lord Elrond before that he didn't need friends...Didn't want friends...Friends like he used to have...Fuck now he was upset, no matter, more wine would solve that.    


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next few days were boring for Lindir. It hadn't stopped raining and he didn't feel like going out. Autumn was a nice season, Lindir enjoyed how the leaves changed colours, but the rain he didn't enjoy. He knew the rain was essential for everything to survive, but he didn't like how everything became damp, muddy and sticky. He sat in the windowsill watching the rain pour down the window. His eyes trailed the water droplets until they reached the bottom and dripped off. A noise from behind caught his attention, he turned to find Erestor folding his umbrella down and coming into the room.  

"Hello Lindir" Erestor greeted.

"Hello" Lindir replied not very bother by Erestor's presence.

"Lord Elrond sent me to pick you and take you to him. Put on something warm and we'll get going" Erestor said.

"Why does he want to see me?" Lindir asked not moving from his spot.

"You will find out when you get there, now come along" Erestor replied.

Lindir furrowed his brows sceptically, but did what he told. He rummaged through the drawer and found a thick top to wear. After putting it on he followed Erestor.

The two elves shared the umbrella not speaking a word to each other. The two eventually arrived at Lord Elrond's office and entered.

Lindir saw Lord Elrond sitting at his desk and two other elves sitting on the opposite side. His eyes shot open when he recognised the two elves. They were both part of the first convey he had helped to rob. Lindir began to think the worst about the situation and wondered if he should run.

"Thank you Erestor" Lord Elrond said before turning to Lindir "Lindir please take a seat"

Lindir shook his head nervously "I'm fine standing right here" he replied.

Lord Elrond wasn't sure what to make of Lindir's refusal to sit down, but he didn't wish to argue about it "I suppose you are wondering why I have called you here? Lindir this is Lord Calanon" Lord Elrond said introducing the male elf.

"I think he knows who I am or should I say I think he knows my face" Lord Calanon said "Am I correct?" he asked Lindir.

Lindir shrunk into himself out of fear he wouldn't dare admit.

Now Lord Elrond knew why Lindir refused to come closer , he was afraid "Lindir, Lord Calanon has returned to Rivendell to talk with you about the incident"

"I trust you know what he speaks of?" Lord Calanon asked.

"T-The robbery of your convoy" Lindir replied.

"Indeed" Lord Calanon said "Lord Elrond has explained everything about the event and told me about your involvement. I had no idea you were so young or the suffering you had endured at the hands of men. Once I learned about it my anger for you subsided and turned into pity" Lord Calanon explained "The reason I am here now is to get an apology from you and then we can work out a way for you to repay your debt to me"

"Repay my debt?" Lindir said confused.

"Yes. Not all of the treasures that were stolen were returned" Lord Calanon said "While I am here you can work off some of your debt"

Lindir felt angry at this, but his anger quickly subsided when he realised that this situation was better than anything he was thinking.

"Well Lindir what do you say?" Lord Elrond asked.

"I-I think this may work out" Lindir replied highly unsure.

"Very well. Now about that apology you own Lord Calanon " Lord Elrond said.

Lindir stiffened and fought the urge to sneer. Embarrassment burned his cheeks red as he plucked up his courage "I'm sorry"

"Thank you" Lord Calanon said.

"Now that this has been resolved Lindir I would like you to meet Miss Erulasse" Lord Elrond said introducing the female elf.

"Hello Lindir. Do you recognise me?" she asked.

"Yes" Lindir replied.  

"Oh good, I've been dying to meet you" Erulasse said.

"Why?" Lindir asked confused.

"Why to thank you of course" Erulasse said happily.

"For what?" Lindir asked.

"For stopping that man when he tried to inappropriately touch me" she answered. She got up from her seat and swiftly hugged Lindir "Thank you"

Lindir was so surprised by Erulasse's actions that he didn't know what to do and just stood there very awkwardly. After being released the redness in his cheeks was clear for all to see.

Erulasse smiled earnestly at Lindir and went back to her seat.

As Lindir stood dumbfound Lord Calanon spoke up "Now about paying back that debt"

An hour later Lindir was taken back to the healing wing by Erestor and left alone to mull over what had happened. He was to pay back his debt to Lord Calanon by cleaning the three carriages Lord Calanon had brought to Rivendell. Due to the rain they were filthy. Lord Elrond said the rain would stop tonight and he would be given cleaning supplies and taken down to where the carriages were. And to top it all off he would be monitored by his two favourite guards Veryan and Herion. Lindir tucked himself under the covers and groaned. He was not looking forward to tomorrow, but he had no will power to fight back. He knew fighting back would lead to some sort of punishment, so he may as well just get it over and done with. Beside it was only cleaning, he'd done lots of cleaning before. How bad could it be?

The next day Lindir was woken up by Veryan and Herion. He got dressed, had breakfast and was taken to the carriages. They were in a worse condition than he had imagined. They were caked in mud, grass, leaves and dead bugs. Lindir cringed at the thought of cleaning them from top to bottom, but then remembered he had cleaned much worse. He had been provided with cloths, buckets of warm water, a stool to stand on and soap that was designed to make carriages sparkle (according to Glorfindel) he picked up a cloth, dipped it in the soapy water and began the arduous task of cleaning.

Ten minutes into cleaning and Lindir knew this was going to take days to do. The mud was so thick he would have problems scrapping it off with a knife. Kneeling on the grass he scrubbed at the wheels as hard as he could before coming up with a better idea. He would start at the top instead and let water wash away the mud at the bottom. Grabbing the stool he stood on it and started to clean the top of the carriage.

Lindir wasn't sure how much time had passed since he started, but it felt like forever. His arm began to ache and he was still getting nowhere with cleaning the top half of the carriage. He sighed as the realisation of the situation hit him, there was no easy way to do this.

Hours later Veryan and Herion stopped Lindir and told him it was time to go and get something to eat.

Lindir hadn't realised how hungry he was until he had stopped focusing on his work. He cleaned himself up, washing the dirt from his skin and went to the dinner balcony. He drooled at the sight of the food and got himself a plateful of food. He sat at the table and stuffed his face with food.

"Pace yourself Lindir. You'll make yourself sick" Veryan said. Lindir merely  looked at him with his cheeks full of food, like a squirrel. Veryan was a little amused by this, but kept a straight face.     

Lindir listen to Veryan and paced his eating, getting sick was the last thing he wanted. While he spread some butter on his bread Erestor and Glorfindel made an appearance.

"Hello Lindir" Glorfindel greeted cheerfully. He and Erestor grabbed their own plate of food and sat down "How is the cleaning going?" he asked.

"It's tough because the mud is so thick" Lindir answered "I know it rained a lot, but how did it get this bad?" he asked.

"There was a mud slide due to the weather and thankfully no one was hurt" Erestor replied.

"The horses must have been just as bad" Lindir said.

"They were brought to the stable in a terrible state, but they have been taken care of and are resting comfortably" Erestor replied.

"That's good" Lindir said actually trying his best to make pleasant conversation. But the air went stale quickly with no conversation topics to think about. So Lindir decided to ask Glorfindel about the training field "How is the training field? I heard it was damaged because of the rain"

Glorfindel chuckled "It's not damaged, just a bit water logged. It will be fine once the water evaporates"

"That's good" Lindir said. The air went stale again and everyone ate in silence.

"Lindir?" Erestor said.

"Yes?"

"How hard is it cleaning the carriages?" Erestor asked.

"Very hard" Lindir replied.

"I see. Will you be able to finished in a few days?" Erestor asked.

"I don't know. Why?" Lindir replied.

"I just wanted to make sure you were prepared for-" Erestor was interrupted by a quick jab to his side from Glorfindel.

Lindir looked at the two suspiciously "Prepared for what?" Lindir asked.

"Never mind, I spoke too soon" Erestor replied.

"No, no never mind, tell me" Lindir urged.

"Forget it for now" Erestor said.

"No tell me now. You making me highly paranoid" Lindir said.

Erestor sighed at the comment and answered "In a few days more elves will be arriving and most of them are other victims of the robberies on the road"

Lindir felt his heart race at the thought.

"When they learned we had captured you they wanted to see justice done. However Lord Elrond told them the truth about you and they have changed their minds about seeing you punished. But when they arrive you will be expected to apologise to all of them and then clean their carriages as compensation" Erestor explained.

Lindir's appetite diminished and he felt sick. He was hit with a wave of dizziness, his heart palpitations got worse and a sense of overwhelming fear washed over him. He felt like he was going to be in grave danger soon. Leave. He had to leave. Now. RIGHT NOW! Lindir bolted out of his seat and jumped over the railing. He heard the gasped of the elves behind him, but didn't look back. He jumped onto roofs, through trees and eventually made his way to a secluded waterfall. He collapsed at the edge of the cliff and panted hard. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he felt all his rational thoughts and control shutting down.

Back at the dinner balcony the elves were in a frenzy trying to figure out what had just happened. Veryan and Herion began to head in the same direction as Lindir in hopes of catching up to him. Glorfindel tried to console a panicking Erestor.

"This is all my fault. I should have watched my mouth" Erestor said.

"Calm down it will be alright" Glorfindel said.

"I have to tell Lord Elrond" Erestor said and ran off to Lord Elrond's office, with Glorfindel trailing behind him. He burst into his Lord's office and said "I have lost Lindir!"

Lord Elrond looked at his advisor in surprised "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I accidentally told Lindir more elves from the robberies would be coming and he ran away" Erestor explained.

"Where are Veryan and Herion?" Lord Elrond asked.

"They have gone after him, but what if they don't find him?" Erestor said in a panic.

"Calm down my friend. Veryan and Herion have been trained for situations like this they will find him" Lord Elrond said "I will send out a small search party to help"

"My Lord I apologise" Erestor said bowing.

"Do not worry my friend" Lord Elrond said consoling him.

A few hours later and there was still no sign of Lindir. The search party looked high and low, but found nothing. Eventually they called for a specialist tracker to help them. The tracker followed Lindir's trail all the way to the waterfall, where they found Lindir sitting dangerously close to the edge of the waterfall.

"Lindir!" Herion shouted.

Lindir stood up and looked back at the elves that had found him.

"Lindir you must come back with us" Herion said.

"No" Lindir replied.

"You have too" Veryan said.

"Why do I have too?" Lindir asked defiantly.

"Because everyone is worried about you. You ran off so suddenly" Veryan said.

"Yes I did run away and I didn't see you two stop me" Lindir taunted. When Veryan and Herion tried to get closer to him he back away, getting closer to the edge of the waterfall.

"Lindir please come back, that's dangerous" Veryan warned.

"I live for danger" Lindir said. Stepping back again his heel was right on the edge cliff, one more step and he would fall.

"Come away from the edge" Herion said.

Lindir look behind him and down into the dark water below. It was a long way down, falling could be fatal. But so what? He's done _things_ like that before, things to _hurt_ himself. He sighed and walked away from the edge and let Veryan and Herion grab him. He was taken back to the healing wing where he waited for Lord Elrond.

When Lord Elrond arrived he checked Lindir over and was relieved to give Lindir the all clear "You should not have run off like that Lindir" Lord Elrond said "You made a lot of people worry about you"

Lindir do not respond.

Lord Elrond sighed "I know you've just been through a lot, but you still have a job to do. You will take few minutes rest and then go back to the carriages" he noticed no responses or defiance from Lindir so he left the room. Outside the room Veryan and Herion were waiting for him.

They apologised for letting Lindir run off and for being unable to find him. Lord Elrond told them to keep a better eye on him next time. They apologised again and went back to watching Lindir. Veryan and Herion were both in shock at how fast the situation got out of hand. Next time they would not let it happen.

Lord Elrond walked down the path and meet with Erestor.

"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful" Erestor said "He ran because he was...scared. I scared him"

"What you said scared him, not you yourself" Lord Elrond said "This does not bode well for when the other elves arrived. If the thought of them coming here scares him, what will happen when they do arrive?"

"He will run away again and he might not be found" Erestor replied.

"I fear that might be the case" Lord Elrond said "When we have a chance we will have to explain to him that there is nothing for him to be afraid of"

"He will disagree" Erestor said.

"Perhaps" Lord Elrond mumbled.

Later on Lindir was back washing the carriages. He wasn't as energetic as he was this morning. He lost most of his energy during his panic attack. He kept his mind on the task at hand to try and forget about what was coming.  

It took the rest of the day for Lindir to clean just one of the carriages and no doubt it would take him just as long to clean the other two. He followed Veryan and Herion to the baths and stripped down. He washed away the filth and got into a herbal bath with Veryan and Herion joining him. Soaking in the water washed away all of Lindir's muscle ache. He noticed Veryan and Herion kept glancing at his tattoo, but he paid them no mind. He leaned back and let himself relax.

After bathing Lindir went straight to bed. He was so tired he forgot about his worries and went to sleep in minutes.    


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.
> 
> Authors note: Raegbund = Crooked nose.

The next day Lindir was escorted back to the carriages and continued to clean them. About an hour later he noticed Lord Elrond and Erestor coming towards him.

"Good morning Lindir" Lord Elrond greeted.

"Lindir, good morning" Erestor said.

"Morning" Lindir replied apathetically as he wiped away some dirt.

"Lindir we need to talk" Lord Elrond said.

"About?" Lindir asked.

"About what will be happing in a few days" Lord Elrond replied.

Lindir's breath hitched in his throat at the thought.

"Lindir I apologise for scaring you yesterday, that was not my intention" Erestor said.

"Apology accepted" Lindir said.

Lord Elrond and Erestor looked at each other with unease. Lindir's casual acceptance wasn't what they were expecting.

"Lindir about what is going to happen in a few days. More elves will be coming and most them are victims of the robberies, but they will not harm you. When they arrive you will apologise and then you will clean their carriages to make up for your actions and that will be it" Lord Elrond explained.

Lindir stopped cleaning and said "You say that, but how can you be sure they won't hurt me?" he turned to the two older elves "How do you know they won't stab me while I sleep or kidnap me?"

"I can understand the position you are being thrown in and your fear is understandable, but this is Rivendell and I am the ruler here. Everybody will do as I say or face the consequences" Lord Elrond said is a very serious tone "If anybody tries to harm you I will make sure they are dealt with"

Lindir could tell Lord Elrond was serious and he wondered why he would go so far to protect the likes of him "Alright I will apologise and do the cleaning, but if something should happen I will retaliate"  he warned.

Lord Elrond got closer to Lindir and said "You do not need to retaliate, you just have to tell me and I will take care of it"

"Fine" Lindir replied and turned back to the carriages.

Lord Elrond and Erestor left Lindir to clean while they had a discussion about what they were going to do.

"We are we going to do?" Erestor asked.

"I will tell Veryan and Herion to keep a closer eye on Lindir and should anyone try to do anything to him they have my permission to use force and arrest them" Lord Elrond explained.

"That seems wise" Erestor said.

Meanwhile Lindir was preoccupied with cleaning one spot on the carriage while his mind was fixated on the conversation that had just passed. It made him feel down cast and anxious. Why was Elrond so alright with keeping him safe? Was he going to be alright standing in front of more elves and apologising? Would they accept his apology? Was he really going to be safe? Lindir stopped cleaning and sighed.

Veryan and Herion were keeping a close eye on Lindir and noticed he was a little more...compliant than normal. His face showed no expression and was quietly focusing on his work. The two were highly suspicious about it and watched Lindir cautiously.

Lindir had managed to clean all three carriages within the time limit. He had one day left until more elves were due to arrive. He used this day to relax and prepare himself for his upcoming punishment. As he relaxed in the bath he wondered if there was some way to get out of this. He didn't waste to much time thinking about it, he knew when he was out numbered and had come to accept his fate.

The sound of giggling and splashing caught Lindir's attention. Looking over his shoulder he saw a female elf and a male elf playing with a baby elf in the other bath. He watched the scene in sadness and just barely remembered his own family. He turned away and decided to get out of the bath. Lindir made his way back to his room and flopped down on the bed.

Before Lindir knew what was happening he was being awoken by Veryan the next morning. He woke up with a start and wondered when he had fallen asleep.

"W-What time is it?" Lindir slurred.

"It is almost noon and Lord Elrond has called for you" Veryan replied.

Lindir knew why he was being called. It was time to meet the other elves. He took his time getting dressing and only had a piece of toast for breakfast. As Veryan and Herion walked him to an unfamiliar area of Rivendell Lindir felt highly uneasy. His heart raced and his body trembled. The faint sound of many voices started to get louder, indicating that they were getting close. As Lindir's steps became more hesitant, he stopped completely and stepped backwards. He bumped into Herion who was standing directly behind him.

Herion looking down at Lindir and said "Something wrong?"

"N-No" Lindir stuttered.

"I think he's scared" Veryan pointed out.

"I am not" Lindir protested defensively.

"It's alright to be afraid Lindir. And given the current situation it's understandable" Veryan said.

"You don't understand my plight" Lindir said a little dramatically.

"True we don't, but we can imagine what you must be going through and it's got to be tough" Herion said putting a supportive hand on Lindir's shoulder "Listen Lindir a wise elf once told me that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Once you have apologised this whole thing will be over. You don't have to see the other elves again"

Lindir was a little comforted by Herion's words and realised he was right. Once he had apologised he could just avoid the elves.

"Thank you" Lindir said "Let's go"

Herion smiled and continued to walk Lindir to the council hall.

Lindir could hear chattering coming from around the corner and stopped in his tracks. A few more steps forward and he would be in the direct line of sight of the other elves. A felt a small nudge of encourage from behind him and moved forward. When he came face to face with all the elves present the talking stopped and all eyes were on him. Blood pounding in his ears he kept moving forward until he was in the middle of the room.

"Welcome Lindir" Lord Elrond said "I know this must be tough for you, but it won't be so bad"

 _'Easy for you to say'_ Lindir thought bitterly.

Lord Elrond stood up from his chair and addressed everyone present "I thank you all for coming and I hope your journey went well" he stood next to Lindir and continued "This is Lindir the elf that took part in the unfortunate robberies not too long ago. As I'm sure you are aware Lindir has something he would like to say to all of you" he looked at Lindir expectantly and stepped away.      

Lindir felt the world shrink on him and chest tighten, he couldn't breathe. He remembered what Herion told him and clenched his fist. He looked at the elves with determination and said "I'm sorry" loud and clear. He waited for any type of response and started to worry when no one moved or said anything.

"Is that all?" one elf asked.

"No Lord Raegbund that is not all. As I made you aware he is going to clean every carriage you have brought with you" Lord Elrond said.

"An apology and a clean carriage will not bring back my grandmothers ring" Lord Raegbund said angrily.

"No it will not, but there is nothing else we can do about the situation" Lord Elrond replied.

Lord Raegbund grumbled, but stopped arguing.

"Does anyone else have anything to say?" Lord Elrond asked. Nobody replied "Very well. Herion Veryan if you would kindly take Lindir to the carriages so he start his task"

"Yes my Lord" they replied and took Lindir away.

When the three of them were far enough away from the council Herion turned to Lindir and asked "Do you feel better?"

"Yes, thank you" Lindir replied with his face turning red.

When Lindir saw the amount of carriages his cringed and groaned. They were not as bad as Lord Calanon's, thank goodness, but still there was so many. _'Well no use standing around'_ Lindir thought with a sigh. He grabbed the buckets and cloths and began working.

Hours passed and Lindir was still hard at work. Wiping the sweat from his brow he noticed a shadow behind him. He looked over his shoulder and was shocked to see Lord Raegbund.

Lindir was at a lost about what to do and simply asked "Can I help you?"

"You can help me by returning my ring" Lord Raegbund sneered.

"I do not have your ring" Lindir replied.

Lord Raegbund grabbed Lindir's arm and roughly pulled him to his feet "Listen to me thief the others may say that an apology and cleaning their property is enough, but not me. That ring was irreplaceable and I want pay back"

"I do not have your ring. I didn't even steal it" Lindir said sternly. He was about pull his arm away from Lord Raegbund's grip, but Lord Raegbund was pulled away by Herion.

"What do you think you are doing?" Herion asked.

"I was questioning the thief on the whereabouts of my ring" Lord Raegbund replied.

"I don't have it" Lindir said once again.

"You will have to leave Lord Raegbund, Lindir has work to do" Veryan said.

"I will not be ordered around by the likes of you" Lord Raegbund sneered. He looked back at Lindir and said "Tell me where my ring is"

"It's probably already been sold or traded. I don't know where it is" Lindir replied.

"You-" Lord Raegbund hissed and lunged at Lindir. He was held back by Herion while Veryan moved Lindir away.

"Lord Raegbund Veryan and I are under orders to stop anyone who tries to harm Lindir. I must ask you to stop now or we will be forced to remove you" Herion warned.

Lord Raegbund shrugged Herion off himself "Fine" he spat "But I will have my own justice" and with that he walked away.

"Are you alright Lindir?" Veryan asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you" Lindir replied. He took a few moments to calm down and then continued his work.

Lindir never thought he would be grateful about having Herion and Veryan around, but it appeared he was wrong. He was glad they were here to stop Lord Raegbund and he was glad they would be keeping an eye on him while the other elves were in Rivendell. He felt like Rivendell had gotten a lot more dangerous for him and hoped the other elves would stay away from him.

As more time passed the incident with Lord Raegbund did not leave Lindir's mind. He kept thinking about what ring he was talking about. Lindir had stolen many rings, but he hadn't stole anything from the elven carriages. Well it didn't matter something like that was either sold or stored in the kings...treasure...horde. Lindir froze at this sudden realisation. What if, just by a small chance, that ring and other treasures were still in the kings hide out? In a matter of minuets Lindir had made a plan to leave Rivendell.  

Later that night Lindir was returned to his room by Herion and Veryan and he pretended to go to bed and go to sleep. He knew Veryan and Herion didn't watch over him all night so he made sure they were gone before getting some supplies and leaving his room. He dodged all of the guards and stuck to the shadows before finally coming to the bridge that led out of Rivendell. He took one last look around before crossing the bridge and leaving, unaware of the two shadows behind him.

Elladan and Elrohir were surprised to find sneaking about Rivendell while they were on duty. They followed him and watch him leave Rivendell.

"Should we tell someone?" Elrohir asked.

"No, we keep going. We'll find out what he is doing" Elladan said and continued to follow him.

Lindir made his way to the king's hideout and opened up the secret passage. He climbed down the ladder and made his way through the tunnel. The whole place smelt like rust and dried blood covered the walls and floor. He was never told the details about how the elves killed all of the humans, but from the looks of this the humans did not get a chance to put up much of a fight. He was hit with a small wave of nostalgia as he looked around. He remembered his hiding places and the small cliff he liked to relax on. But there was no time for that, he wasn't here to reminisce. He went into the bedroom of the now deceased king of thieves and counted the stone on the floor. Thirty six stones up, twenty stones to the left, ten stones up, four stones right, two stones back and eight stones to the right. He pushed on a loose stone and removed it. He continued doing this until part of the floor was removed and the treasures underneath were revealed. Gold glistened and jewels glittered. Jackpot.

Elladan and Elrohir followed Lindir out of Rivendell and through the woods. They had no idea where he was going until he opened up the entrance to the hideout of the thieves. The two of them immediately thought the worst, that Lindir was still working with the thieves. Elladan sent his brother back to Rivendell to go and get help while he stayed and followed Lindir inside the lair of thieves.

Lindir remembered the first time he saw the king open up his hoard stash. He had been sneaking around the kings room and hidden when the king had returned. He watched the king count the stones on the floor and was amazed at the hoard of treasures the king had. He also remembered what had happened to anyone the king suspected knew his secret. They were never seen again.

Lindir stopped remembering about the past and started to put the treasures into the sacks he had brought. His plan was to give it all to Lord Elrond so he could give it to the other elves and maybe, just maybe he wouldn't have to worry about them or clean any more.

"Don't move"

Lindir gasped and dropped the coins that were in his hands. He felt the cold tip of a blade against the back of his neck and froze.

"Put your hands were I can see them"

Lindir raised his hands and showed that he was holding nothing.

"So you betray us, after all we have done for you?"

"E-Elladan?" Lindir said finally recognising the voice. He tried to look behind him but was stopped.

"Don't move" Elladan said more forcefully.

Lindir stiffed and looked away "Elladan please you misunderstand" Lindir said trying to explain.

"Misunderstand what? All I see is you sneaking out of Rivendell to collect your gold" Elladan said.

"It's not mine and yes I did sneak away and yes I am collecting this treasure, but I am going to give it to your father" Lindir explained.

"Why should I believe you?" Elladan asked.

"You don't have to" Lindir said sadly. He came to the realisation that nobody was going to believe him and he was sad about it. The one time he wasn't lying, the one time he told the truth, the one time he was going to do something good and it went wrong.

Elladan picked Lindir up off the ground and tied his hands behind his back. He sat him down and watched him until help arrived. He heard the arrival of more elves and shouted so they knew where he was.

Lord Elrond entered the room followed by Elrohir and a small group of foot soldiers. Lord Elrond was not happy when Elrohir had told him what had happened and was even more unhappy to find out it was true.

"What is going here?" Lord Elrond asked displeased.

"Lindir was trying to-"

"I was asking Lindir Elladan let him answer me" Lord Elrond said "Well Lindir?"

"I was trying to bring the treasure back to you" Lindir said.

Lord Elrond was not sure what to do next "Everyone leave me and Lindir alone for a few minutes" he ordered.

When everybody had left the room Lord Elrond kneeled in front of Lindir and said "Do you have any idea what thoughts were going through my head when Elrohir told me you had left Rivendell? Or when he told me that you had come back to this place? Do you have any idea how bad this has made you look?" he asked.

"I-I yes" Lindir admitted.

"What were you thinking Lindir?" the older elf asked.

"I was thinking I could bring all of this back to Rivendell and then you could give it to the elves I help rob and then they would forgive me and maybe Lord Raegbund would find his ring" Lindir explained.

"And you expected this plan of yours to go well?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Yes" Lindir replied.

"Well it hasn't and you are in a lot of trouble" Lord Elrond said sternly.

"But I got you compensation" Lindir protested.

Lord Elrond was disappointed that Lindir did not fully grasp the seriousness of the situation, he really was a child and needed to be talked to like one "Lindir listen to me, I understand what you were trying to do and why, but it was not the right thing. Leaving the safety of Rivendell and coming here without telling anyone was very foolish. What if you had been hurt or killed? What if dangerous people were using this place as a hideout again? You life is not worth all of this gold"

Lindir felt tears sting his eyes as he started to understand what he had done "I-I was j-just trying to help" he admitted as tears ran down his face.

Lord Elrond pulled Lindir into his chest and comforted him, like he would his own children. He undid the rope from Lindir's wrist and let him hug him.

After Lindir had calmed down Lord Elrond gave him a cloth wipe his eyes with "Feel better?" he asked.

"N-No" Lindir sobbed.

"I see, well maybe you'll feel better after we take you back to Rivendell" Lord Elrond said and helped Lindir to his feet.

Lindir cleaned his face and thanked Lord Elrond for helping him.

Lord Elrond called his men into the room and gave them orders "Veryan take Lindir outside and watch him. Everyone else gather all of this gold, we'll take it with us"

Veryan took Lindir outside and watched him with a stern look in his eye. He was very disappointed and angry with Lindir. Just when he thought he could look away for a second this happens. His and Herion's job was never going to get any easier.

When Lord Elrond, his sons and his soldiers emerged they loaded the gold onto the horses and made their way back to Rivendell. Lindir was made to ride with Veryan. The ride back to Rivendell was spent in an awkward silence. When the entourage returned home Lord Elrond ordered them to take the treasures to a storage room where it would be sorted out tomorrow. He then ordered Veryan to take Lindir back to his room and watch over him.     

Lindir felt awful and embarrassed. When he got back to his room he covered himself under the blanket and curled up into a ball.

Lord Elrond sighed loudly as he entered his room. What an awful night. He felt angry, disappointed and fearful about Lindir. How could he have left Rivendell so easily? He wondered. He would have to talk with the guards about rearranging their patrol routes. He wasn't sure about what to do with Lindir. This was a serious situation he had created and he had to be made aware of how bad his actions were. But how? A grounding? No to simple and he wouldn't obey. He sighed again and sat down, he would not sleep tonight.

The next morning Lord Elrond called a meeting. He invited his advisor Erestor, Glorfindel, his sons Elladan and Elrohir, Veryan and Herion, Adlanna and Lindir was the subject of discussion.

"Good morning everyone I thank you all for coming" Lord Elrond said "I trust you all know why you are here"

Everyone present nodded their head.

"Good then I don't need to explain much just that I do not know what to do about this unique situation. Lindir needs to understand what he did was wrong, even if his intentions were of noble cause" Lord Elrond explained "Does anyone have any suggestions?" he asked.

"You could confine him to his room" Erestor suggested.

"He would not stay put and it's not teaching him anything" Glorfindel pointed out.

"What about making him apologise for his actions?" Veryan suggested.

"There is a difference between making someone apologise and them apologising because they realise have done wrong" Adlanna said "I have a suggestion my Lord"

"Yes Adlanna?"

"If I understand correctly Lindir's intentions were to bring this gold back to try and make amends for his actions and to get out of cleaning the carriages. So what if he had to continue his manual labour?" she suggested "It would teach him three things, one he can't always bargain his way out of trouble, two he should think before he acts and three he would learn a bit of responsibility"

Lord Elrond didn't need to think about it he agreed it was a good idea "Thank you for your suggestion Adlanna" he said "Everyone this meeting is over thank you for coming. Veryan and Herion take Lindir back to the carriages and tell him he is to continue his work" he ordered "And Erestor please see to it that the treasure that was brought back gets sorted"

"Yes my Lord" Erestor replied.

When everybody but Elrond had left he called for the elves that had arrived yesterday for another meeting. He told them of the events that had taken place and told them they would be compensated for their loss during the robbery. Naturally they were glad, but Lord Raegbund was still displeased. He still wanted his ring. There was nothing Lord Elrond could about that except pray the ring was among the treasures.     

Lindir was in a very foul mood as he cleaned mud of the carriages. He couldn't understand why he was back doing this again. _'The Lords were going to be compensated, weren't they? They should be happy, shouldn't they?'_ he thought maliciously. He practically growled while scrubbing away the dirt and Veryan and Herion were no help either. They seemed to be much closer than normal. Watching over his shoulder and putting their guard up every time he moved. He felt highly claustrophobic.

Meanwhile Erestor and Glorfindel watched as the treasure was being sorted. The gold was being counted into equal piles. The jewellery was being sorted by type. Rings in one pile, necklaces in another etc. Erestor could see why Lindir thought bringing all of this back was a good idea, if only he'd just told them about it and let them help.

"How are things looking Adan?" Glorfindel asked.

"Very well my Lord. We could feed all of Rivendell for months on this" Adan replied.

Despite Adan's enthusiastic response Rivendell was not going to keep any of the treasure, unless something did belong to a resident of Rivendell.

When the treasure was sorted the Lords came and collected what they wanted and by some grand and wonderful fortune Lord Raegbund's ring was among them. He was happy to have his ring back, but hardly showed his gratitude.

After the treasures had been divided equally Erestor and his staff took a break. Erestor sat on a bench next his lover and sighed as he rested his head on his shoulder.

"That was a long sigh" Glorfindel said.

"Tired" Erestor replied.

"Maybe you should sleep" Glorfindel suggested.

"I am not just physically tired Glorfindel. I am mentally tired as well" Erestor said "Ever since Lindir arrived he's been nothing but trouble and made more work for those of us who are already stressed out about our work" he explained "I mean, do you have any idea how many reports I have to write up about this entire incident?"

"I can only guess" Glorfindel replied "But Erestor dear we cannot fault Lindir for most of his actions. Sure he has done a lot of wrong since he has been here and last night was his most recent escapade, but we also know why he like this and really I can't be mad at him" he explained "This is a bad situation, but we will take care of it" he wrapped his arm around Erestor and kissed him on the forehead.

Erestor knew Glorfindel was right and leaned into his embrace.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

Three weeks later a groggy, tired and irritated Lindir soaked in a bath. His task of cleaning all the carriages was over thank goodness. His grounding however was not. Apparently he was still in trouble and that really irked him. He just couldn't understand. Everyone had gotten what they had wanted and he had done as he was told, so why was he still trouble? Everyone should be happy. So why weren't they? Lindir gritted his teeth as he kept asking himself the same questions over and over again.

Veryan and Herion could sense Lindir's irritation. They both knew he was angry. They had been on the receiving end of his anger for days. They could cut the tension in the room with a knife, it was extremely unnerving.   

"Lindir?" Veryan said.

"What?" Lindir replied with a slight snap.

"I was just wondering why you would get a tattoo" Veryan asked trying to clear some tension.

"I got it because I wanted it end of story" Lindir replied not wanted to converse anymore.

"What about the design? What does it mean?" Herion asked.

"Peace, life, music and death" Lindir replied.

"Nice" Herion said.

"Since when is my body ink nice to you? I thought elves didn't approve of such things" Lindir said.

"Well we don't but doesn't mean to say we can't appreciate art" Veryan pointed.

"Oh so suddenly it's art now?" Lindir said sarcastically.

"Well it is nice and-" whatever Veryan had to say was cut off by Lindir.

"Just stop. Your attempt to make conversation is not working it's just making everyone even more uncomfortable" Lindir said.

Veryan and Herion deflated at this statement. They were serious when they said Lindir's tattoo was nice. Sure it was unethical, but it was like a piece of art, so it was nice.

After bathing Lindir went back to his room and flopped onto his bed. It was all he could do. His body ached and he was tired.

The next morning Lindir and his guard dogs and he liked to call them went to breakfast. They sat at the table and got themselves some food.

"Good morning Lindir, Veryan and Herion" Lord Elrond greeted.

"Good morning" Veryan and Herion said in unison.

Lindir merely groaned and shrugged his shoulders.  

"No good morning Lindir?" Glorfindel asked cheerfully.

"No, I hate mornings" Lindir replied "And your stupid cheery fucking face doesn't fucking help" he added with spite.

"Lindir! That was not called for" Lord Elrond said offended.

"I don't care" Lindir replied casually.

"Well I do and that was highly inappropriate" Lord Elrond said.

"Oh bite me" Lindir spat.

"One more insult a you will leave the table" Lord Elrond warned.

Lindir tutted but said nothing.

"Why must you insult my partner so much?" Erestor asked.

"Because nobody can be that happy all the time. It's creepy and it pisses me off" Lindir answered.

"I fail to see how me being so happy is creepy or how it annoys you" Glorfindel said confused.

"Why and how are you so cheery? Nobody can be that happy" Lindir said.

"Why shouldn't I be so happy? I have a wonderful partner, a great job, a home, I have everything I could possibly want" Glorfindel explained "I have every reason to be happy"

Lindir groaned "For fuck's sake"

"Lindir!" Lord Elrond said in a chastising tone.

"What?" Lindir whined.

"Enough swearing it is highly unnecessary" Lord Elrond said.

"Whatever" Lindir said casually brushing off the older elf "Don't know why you even care" 

"I care because I am concerned about your behaviour" Lord Elrond replied.

"But why?" Lindir asked "I don't understand you"

It was at this moment Lord Elrond understood Lindir a little bit more "I care because you have not had the best start in life and I want you to have a better future" he said caringly "I want to care about you Lindir, like I do my own children"

"Well I don't care about you" Lindir retorted and glanced in the Lord's direction "In fact I would go as far as saying I hate you"

Everyone at the table felt a sharp sting at Lindir's declaration.

"Surely you do not mean that?" Glorfindel asked.

"Of course I do" Lindir replied smugly. He then pointed at Lord Elrond "I hate you" and then Glorfindel "I hate you" and Erestor "I hate you" and then Lord Elrond's sons "I loathe you two" and then Veryan and Herion "And I despise you two"

Lord Elrond balled his fist in anger and shot up from the table. He grabbed Lindir's arm and dragged him from the table. Veryan and Herion tried to follow them but Lord Elrond told them not to. He dragged Lindir back to the healing wing. He sat him down on the bed and looked at him sternly.

"Lindir this attitude of yours has to stop. The remarks and the swearing. It is all unnecessary" Lord Elrond said.

"I don't care" Lindir replied.

"You should care and you need to stop"

"You can tell me that all you like and I will never stop. I've been doing these things for years you can't expect me to stop in an instant" Lindir explained.

Lord Elrond had, had enough, but Lindir did have a point. He shouldn't expect anything good from an uneducated and underdeveloped child.

"Then perhaps we should do something different" Lord Elrond suggested "Lindir if you could do anything you wanted today, what would you do?" he asked.

Lindir looked at the older elf sceptical of the sudden change in his demeanour and asked "Is this some sort of joke? Or trick?"

"No jokes and no tricks. If you could do anything today what would you do?" Lord Elrond asked again.

Lindir thought about it and replied "I would put on my original clothing and mask, take my weapons and go to the training field"

"Very well then. You shall do that today under supervision" Lord Elrond said.

Lindir's eyes widened and then he raised an eyebrow in confusion "What's the catch?" he asked.

"No catch Lindir. I am just wondering if this might benefit you and calm your anger a bit" Lord Elrond replied "You and I shall make are way to the training grounds while I have someone Veryan and Herion fetch your clothing"

Lindir didn't trust Lord Elrond's word, but followed him regardless.

The trainings grounds were set up, Lindir changed into his thief clothing and wielded all his weapons. He felt like his old self again. He put his mask on and drew his twin swords. Taking aim at the wooden dummies in front of him he started to attack.

Lord Elrond, Glorfindel, Veryan and Herion sat nearby and watched as Lindir continued his assault on the dummies.  

"I do not understand my Lord. Why are you letting him do this?" Veryan asked.

"Because it will help his relive his anger and hopefully calm him down" Lord Elrond replied "Also I believe I might have found a way to get through to him"

Lindir spent at least six hours doing training before finally getting tired. He followed Lord Elrond and his entourage to get some food. After they ate Lord Elrond took Lindir to his office.

"Did you enjoy your practice today?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Yes I did" Lindir replied.

"Good. Then I think we have something to discuss" Lord Elrond intertwined his fingers and started to explain "During your time in Rivendell you have caused nothing but trouble. You are rude, you lack the elven grace and you don't care how much you hurt people. I have been seeing this behaviour as a lack of education and because you have been separated from your own kind. And because I thought this I tried to think of a way to help you. However I see now that my way of thinking was wrong"

Lindir wondered where this was going and asked "How were you wrong?"

"I was wrong because I tried treating you like a child by taking away everything you were used to and because of this you acted like a child by lashing out" Lord Elrond sighed and continued "After watching you today I decided to try something new, something I think we can both agree on"

"And that would be?" Lindir asked.

"I have decided that I cannot treat you like a child because you have the mindset of an adult, but I cannot treat you like an adult because you have the body and age of a child. So I think I may have come up with a way we can both be happy. But you have to work with me and everyone around you"

Lindir was a little curious about what Elrond had planned and gave him his full attention "Alright I'm listening"

"I've decided you should be treated as both an adult and child. You shall go to school and get an education but only for half the allocated time and after that you will be allowed into the training field to practice, but only under super vision" Lord Elrond Explained "I believe this will be the first step we take to helping you"

Lindir felt like this was some sort of trick, but the look in Lord Elrond's eyes was sincere. It wasn't a farfetched idea either. Going to school still sounded like a bore, but it might be worth it if he only got to go for three hours and then he got to go practice.

"Alright it sounds like a good idea" Lindir agreed.

"Good. Now about some rules"

Lindir rolled his eyes and groaned he knew there was a catch.

"None of that please Lindir. The rules are simple. During your stay at school you will be good and follow the rules. You will listen to your teachers and not hurt anyone. Not fighting, no arguing and now swearing. If you do this you will be allowed into the training field to do as you please. If you don't you will lose time and have less to do. Can you accept these rules?"

Lindir wasn't so sure he could do this. His last experience at school was not a good one "But what about other people? What if they hurt or do something bad to me? What then?" he asked.

"If someone does do something to upset you, then you tell me or some other member of authority and we will take care of it" Lord Elrond explained.

Lindir bit his lip in thought and finally decided to agree "Alright I will try, but I can't promise anything, but I will try"

"I'm glad you agree" Lord Elrond smiled glad Lindir was willing to give his idea a try and hopefully if this worked they could expand on it.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long and this chapter is so short, writers block is awful.   
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.  
> Authors note: There is scene in this that is from an anime. Ten points to Gryffindor to anyone who can recognise it.

"Hello my name is Lindir and its meet you...No, no that's not right" Lindir mumbled to himself. He was practicing his greeting for school. He and Lord Elrond had discussed how he should greet people and make new friends. He had been practicing all morning while he had been bathing and getting dressed. As if saying hello it's nice to meet you was bad enough he had to smile while he said it. He had told Lord Elrond not to expect much as he preferred to keep his face in a scowl, but Lord Elrond had insisted he practice. He tied up his hair and took one last look in the mirror. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, what was he going to do?

"Lindir, are you ready?" Veryan asked.

"Yes, I'm coming" Lindir replied. He picked up a book and quill he was given and left the room.

Veryan and Herion looked at Lindir in an approving manner "Let's get going, you don't want to be late" Herion said and the three of them were off.

Lindir continued to practice his greeting in his head as he walked next to Veryan and Herion. Maybe he could shorten the greeting to just 'Hello my name is Lindir' because he really wasn't happy about meeting anyone.

Soon enough the three elves stood in front of the school. Veryan and Herion weren't allowed to be inside with Lindir so they would go off and do their daily duties.

 _'My-My heart won't stop pounding'_ Lindir thought _'Am I nervous or just scared?'_ he asked himself _._ He swallowed nervously and stepped towards the door "I...I'll see you two later then?"

"Of course. We'll be back to pick you up when you've finished" Veryan replied.

Lindir nodded, took a deep breath and walked inside. The room was filled with elves happily chatting away. He walked in and immediately decided to sit at the back of the room near the open window. As he walked further into the class room the others noticed his presence and became quieter. He knew why, because to them he was an enigma, a mystery, a danger. They didn't know what to make of him and he didn't care. He sat down in an empty chair, stared out the window and ignored their whispers.

Not much time passed and the teacher came into the room and thankfully it wasn't the same teacher as before "Good morning class"

"Good morning Adan" the class replied except for Lindir who didn't know the teachers name.

"Today's first lesson is going to be a Sindarin writing practice, so if everyone can please get out their books and quills we shall begin"

The lesson had gone well in Lindir's mind. He struggled to keep up with everyone, but at least he had some work in his book to show off. After the lesson there was a short break and during the this break Adan had left the room. Lindir focused on the work he had done until someone beside him cleared their throat and caught his attention. Lindir looked to his left and saw two female elves standing next to him.

"Hello I'm Mirima and this is Huoriel" one of the girls greeted.

"I am Lindir" Lindir replied forgetting the rest of the greeting on purpose.

"We know. You were the one stealing from the kitchens, weren't you?" Mirima asked.

"We thought it was funny" Huoriel added.

Lindir wondered if they were mocking him, but decided not to play their game "How so?" he asked.

"It was funny seeing the kitchen staff think there was a ghost around" Huoriel replied with a giggle and some of the others giggled as well.

"Who cares about that?" a male voice added.

Three male elves pushed their way past Huoriel and Mirima and smirked at Lindir.

Lindir glared knowing that these three wanted to cause trouble. He was going to try his best to remain calm and if things did get out of control then he would leave the room and hide in a tree, like he told Lord Elrond he would.

"What are you doing here?" the ring leader asked.

"The same thing as you, studying" Lindir replied.

"No I mean what are you doing in Rivendell. You're a thief. You should have been cast out" the ring leader clarified.

"I don't know. Fate works in strange ways" Lindir replied calmly.

"I have a question" one of the other males elves said "Where are you parents?" he asked.

"They are both dead" Lindir replied the grip on his book becoming tighter.

"How?" the third male elf asked.

"Orcs" Lindir replied.

"Hunh? Really? Oh well, that's probably a good thing. If they could see you now they'd be-"

Lindir didn't give the ring leader elf a chance to continue. He swiftly picked up a chair and threw at him. The ring leader went down harshly. Lindir picked up another chair and proceeded to violently beat the other elf with it.

Two hits. Five hits. Eight hits. Twelve hits. Lindir lost count. When he did stop the elf on the floor was breath heavily and groaning in pain.

Lindir glared darkly at him and said "I don't care about what you say to me, I know I'm scum, but don't you even speak poorly of my parents. I won't allow it. Now listen up. My name is Lindir and it's very nice to meet you"

"What is going on here!?" Adan demanded to know after he had been dragged back to the class room by a distressed student.

The whole incident had lead to the ring leader elf been taken to the healing wing and Lindir taken to Lord Elrond.

"It wasn't my fault" Lindir argued.

"I'm not saying it was Lindir, I'm just saying I am disappointed that this happened on your first back to school" Lord Elrond said.

"Yes and I was actually trying this time. You can look in my book and see" Lindir replied and showed Lord Elrond his work.

Lord Elrond looked through the book and was indeed surprised at Lindir's efforts "Well this is good Lindir, but you're actions cannot be excused"   

"I know, but neither can his. He started it. It was his own fault. He came to me and was looking for a fight" Lindir explained "You can ask anyone in that room. They all saw and heard what he was saying"

"And what was he saying?" Lord Elrond asked.

"He said nasty things about my dead parents and I didn't want to hear it" Lindir answered.

"I see" Lord Elrond hummed and called in the two young elves that were with the ring leader "Take a seat you two and tell me what happened in that class room"

Naturally the two elves lied and tried to cover for their friend "It was Lindir he beat Maidhion for no reason" one said "He's a menace"

"I don't just randomly attack people without a good reason and Lying to the Lord of Rivendell isn't a good thing. He knows when you're lying. So I suggest that you..." Lindir slammed his hand on the desk "Tell the truth"

The two elves jumped in fear and confessed "It-It was all Maidhion. He made fun of Lindir and got beaten for it"

"Well then I will have to have words with Maidhion's parents later. You two may leave" Lord Elrond said and watched the two young elves scramble out of his room "Do not look so smug Lindir you are still in trouble"

"Yes I know, however I'd like to think despite all of this I have done as you have asked" Lindir said.

"I'm afraid I don't understand" Lord Elrond asked confused.

"You asked me to greet people and to make an impression on my first day back. I have greeted people and made an impression" Lindir casually leaned back in his chair and rested his head in his hand "I greeted two females elves nicely because they were nice, although I'm not sure if they were mocking me or not. And then I made an impression on Maidhion for the whole class. And that impression was don't fuck with me or else" he said hissing at the last part "If you want me to be nice to you then you should be nice to me"

Lord Elrond sighed frustrated "Lindir-"

"I know. I know. You're behaviour was wrong, you're grounded, blah, blah, blah" Lindir said rolling his eyes. He grabbed his book and stood up "I'll be in my room" he said and went to leave, but he had one more thing to say "I think tomorrow school will be much better" and then he left.

Lindir was escorted back to his room by Veryan and Herion. He lay on bed with a full scowl on his face. He couldn't stop thinking about what that other elf had said. Lindir always knew his parents would be disgusted with him, but he didn't want to hear it from somebody who didn't even know him. He grunted in annoyance and picked up his school book. He may as well study what he wrote today.

Lord Elrond entered the healing wing and asked the staff how the young elf was doing.

"Well there are no broken bones. There is mostly bruising and some bleeding. Nothing too serious, but he will be very sore for a while" the staff replied.

"Thank you" Lord Elrond said and dismissed the staff "I take it you two are Maidhion's parents?" he asked.

"Yes we are" the father answered.

"My Lord we want to know what is going to be done about this" the mother asked.  

"I have done all I can there is nothing else that can be done" Lord Elrond replied.

"What? Our son is lying here unconscious with injuries because of that other elf and nothing is going to be done about this" the mother complained.

"Lindir has already been dealt with. I am here to deal with Maidhion. I have asked everyone that was in that classroom what happened and they say Maidhion started this fight. Maidhion is temporarily suspended from school until further notice. That is all" Lord Elrond said and then left.

Lord Elrond went into the gardens and sat on a bench. He had not foreseen this happening today and yet he knew something would happen, it always seemed to. He looked up at the clouds in the sky and wondered what his wife would make of all of this. Knowing her free spirited ways she would have adopted Lindir herself and had a good laugh about all of it. The thought made him chuckle, but only for a moment.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.

The next morning Lindir had bathed and dressed himself. He had grabbed his school supplies and followed Veryan and Herion to school. Today Lindir was not nervous about going to school at all. After his little display yesterday he had a feeling no one would make any rash decisions or poorly worded conversations towards him.  

"I'll see you two after school" Lindir said to Veryan and Herion and entered the school.

The classroom was full of gossiping elves until Lindir walked in and caused them all to go silent. Lindir sat in the same spot he had chosen yesterday and put is things on the desk. He noticed a few elves staring at him, but they quickly turned away. _'Perfect'_ Lindir smirked.

The teacher entered the room and greeted the class "Good morning class. Today we will be studying maths and herbs. I want everyone to copy the formulas I have written on the board and work out the answers"

Despite never going to school Lindir was very good at maths. He had to learn how to count coin and make sure he wasn't being robbed by shady merchants or dealers.

The math problems on the board were simple enough and Lindir answered them easily. Next up was herbs. Lindir knew very little about herbs. He knew what was poisonous and what was edible and what could heal cuts, but the he'd never heard about some of the herbs the teacher was talking about. He tried to keep up and write it all down, but the teacher had written it in Sindarin. He could barely understand it.

At the end of his lessons Veryan and Herion had come to pick him up. He had finished three hours of school as promised. Before he could leave the class room the teacher stopped him.

"This is your homework" Adan said handing Lindir a clean writing book.

 "Homework?" Lindir said confused.

"Yes. The homework is creative writing. I want you to write a story. It doesn't matter how short or long you make it as long as you hand in a story" Adan explained.

"Why is it called homework?" Lindir asked.

"Because it is school work you do it at home" Adan answered.

"Oh well then you can just take it back" Lindir said shrugging and pushing the book back into Adan's hands "Because I don't have a home, so I can't do it"

Adan flinched at such a sad fact. It was true. Lindir didn't have a home, but it didn't excuse him "I don't think so Lindir. You are currently staying in the healing wing, so that is your temporary home, therefore" Adan pushed the book back into Lindir's hands "You must do it. Now as I said before you must write a story about anything you can think of and the length doesn't matter. And don't forget to name your story at the beginning and sign your name it at the end"

Lindir sneered slightly, but nodded his head and left with his guardians.

Creative writing seemed like a ridicules notion to Lindir, but...He had always enjoyed telling stories...Maybe he could do it. He shook his head at the thought. Only Furrex and his group of thieves had enjoyed his stories. The elves here would never appreciate them.

Lindir, Veryan and Herion arrived back at the healing wing where Lindir could put his school supplies away and change into some training appropriate clothing. Lindir was taken to the training field where Glorfindel was waiting for him.

"Hello Lindir" Glorfindel greeted happily much to Lindir's dismay.

"Hello sir smiles too much" Lindir retorted unimpressed.

"Aw don't be like that. Aren't you happy that you are training today?" Glorfindel asked.

"Oh I'm happy alright, but I'll show my happiness through battle" Lindir replied.

Glorfindel frowned slightly "Now Lindir this is just practice not a proper battle. If you get a little too rough you will have to stop and leave. Do you understand?" Glorfindel explained.

"Of course I do. No rough housing just practice" Lindir answered.

"Good then let's begin" Glorfindel said smiling again.

The two elves grabbed wooden swords and began to practice. Glorfindel knew what Lindir could do, he knew how skilled he was, but he would still have to go easy on him.

Veryan and Herion watched in awe as Lindir went one on one with Glorfindel. Not many would dare to take on the Balrog slayer, even if it was only practice.

Lindir ducked under Glorfindel's high swing and sung his low. It was easy for Glorfindel to dodge and he could tell from Lindir's body language and movement that he was holding back. Glorfindel was glad Lindir was beginning to understanding, but after a while Lindir was starting to get a little too rough and Glorfindel decided it was time to stop.

"I think that is enough for today" Glorfindel said between heavy breaths.

"What!? We were just getting started" Lindir complained "Come at me" he demanded.

"Now calm down Lindir. You are starting to get a little too agitated" Glorfindel said.

Lindir grunted and threw his sword to the floor.

"Ah, none of that. No tantrums now" Glorfindel said in a warning tone "Please hand me the sword"

Lindir sighed heavily, picked up the sword and handed it back to Glorfindel.

"Thank you, now let's go and get something to eat shall we" Glorfindel said.

The four elves went to the kitchens, grabbed some food and went to a grassy field to eat.

"So, how was school today?" Glorfindel asked.

"Better than any other day" Lindir replied biting into a butter scone.

"I heard about what happened yesterday" Glorfindel said.

"Yeah? So?" Lindir said dismissively.

"So nothing I guess" Glorfindel replied.

"You have nothing to say?" Lindir asked raising an eyebrow.   

"Well...Maidhion is not the best student" Glorfindel said rubbing the back of his head.

"How so?" Lindir asked.

"I have noticed he is a bit of a bully" Glorfindel answered.

"Really? Then I guess that asshole finally got what he deserved" Lindir smirked drinking his water.

"Language Lindir" Veryan warned.

"I never said I agreed with your violence" Glorfindel said.

Lindir shrugged and ate a strawberry "I never said you had to. I still enjoyed beating him though"

Glorfindel shook his head and stopped talking about it.

After eating Veryan and Herion took Lindir back to the healing wing so he could do his homework.

Lindir looked at the empty book and scowled. What was the point of this creative writing? He wondered. Why create your own story? It seemed pointless. Well pointless or not Lindir had made a lot of stories over the years, so this should be easy. All he had to do now was choose one.

Lindir walked with Veryan and Herion to school once again. He had his homework under his arm and his book and quill in the other arm. He said goodbye to his guardians and went inside the building. Again everything went quiet when he walked in. He sat down in what he was going to call 'his' seat from now on and saw a note on the desk. He knew it was some sort of prank, but decided to read it. He sat down, placed his books on the desk and opened the note.

'Dear Lindir I thought you beating Maidhion with a chair was amazing. It was about time someone taught him a lesson and I am not the only one who thinks that. From a future friend, it you want to be friends'

Lindir squinted his eyes suspiciously at the letter and looked around the room to see if he could find the one who had wrote it. Nobody seemed to stand out and nobody was watching him read it, so there was nothing he could about it. He put the letter in his pocket and started to read the notes in his book.

Lindir's class this time around was boring. All the teacher did was talk and Lindir couldn't understand a word he was saying. He was speaking Sindarin and Lindir was too embarrassed to say anything. It felt awful and humiliating being the only elf in the room that couldn't understand his own language. As the lesson went on Lindir felt a new fear creep into his mind. What if the teacher didn't like his story?

Lindir tapped his foot nervously as his anxiety took over. He thought of how his first homework assignment would be a failure, if it would even be liked or how he would be laughed at. He had written the whole story in common, was he not supposed to? He couldn't hand it in, he couldn't hand over his homework. Lindir felt the palms of his hands become sweaty and his heart race. Trying to remain calm in front of so many was not easy, but he was pulling it off, but what was he supposed to do?

Lindir thought about it and came up with a idea. He slowly reached into his pocket a pulled out a small stone. He kept a few stones on hand just in case he needed a distraction and right now he needed one. He carefully aimed the stone at a piece of chalk and flicked it. The chalk was knocked off and clattered to the floor catching everyone's attention. While everyone was focused on the fallen chalk Lindir tossed his book out of the window and onto the balcony outside. Unfortunately when he turned away from the window he failed to see his book fall off the balcony and down to the floor below. Lindir had managed to think of an lie for not having his homework just in the nick of time as his guardians had come for him.

"I will take your homework before you leave Lindir" Adan said.

"I...Could I talk to you about that? Outside. Alone" Lindir asked.

Adan nodded and followed Lindir outside "What is it?" he asked.

"I don't have my homework because I didn't know if it needed to be in Sindarin or common" Lindir lied.

Adan looked at Lindir high confused "That is a rather odd excuse Lindir"

"Well not really. I can't understand Sindarin...At all" Lindir said ashamed.

Adan thought back to his lesson and realised something "I have been speaking Sindarin all morning, are you telling me that you didn't understand a word of it?"

"Yes" Lindir replied.

"Why didn't you say so?" Adan asked.

Lindir didn't reply. He cast his eyes to the floor and rubbed his arm nervously.

Adan sigh slightly "I understand. From now on I will only teach in common when you are in my lesson. As for your homework you can write it in common"

"Thank you" Lindir said.

Adan gave a slight nod and went back inside.

When Adan was out of sight Lindir quickly rushed to the window he had thrown his book out of. He ducked under the windows and crawled to where the book should have landed. To Lindir's horror the book was nowhere to be found. He searched for it frantically, but found nothing. He cursed under his breath and ran away when he heard his named being called out be his guardians. He would have to come back at night and search for it.

"Where did you go?" Veryan asked.

"To find a quill I dropped out of the window by mistake" Lindir lie "Sorry about the wait" he added just to make his lie seemed genuine.

Veryan and Herion didn't question him any further and took him back to the healing wing.

Lindir put away his things and got changed. During the walk to the training ground Lindir couldn't stop thinking about his missing book. Where could it have gone? He wondered.

"Hello Lindir" Glorfindel greeted.

Lindir only grunted in response _'He's still too fucking happy'_

"Cheer up. Today we are going to do some projectile training" Glorfindel said pulling out some blunt throwing knives "I've seen how good you are with these, so show me what you can do"

During practice Lindir tried his best to stay focused on training, but his mind was not with him. After practice Lindir felt a hand on his should.

"Are you feeling well Lindir?" Glorfindel asked.

"I'm fine just a bit tired" Lindir lied.

"Are you sure because your aim was off by a lot" Glorfindel commented as he looked at all the blunt throwing knives that littered the floor around the target.

Lindir was slightly offended by the comment, but knew it was a reasonable one "I'm fine. Can I go now?" he asked.

"Of course. I will see you tomorrow" Glorfindel replied and let Lindir go.

Lindir went back to his room and flopped down onto his bed. He pressed his face into his pillow and groaned. He did not like to play the waiting game, but he would have to.

When night had fallen Lindir managed to sneak out of the healing wing and went to the school. He searched and he searched, but there was no sign of his book. Had someone else come along and picked it up? No, impossible he thought. He jumped down onto the balcony below and searched there. Again he found nothing. Punching the wall in frustration he accidentally caught the attention of someone and dashed away before he got caught. As Lindir went back to his room he couldn't stop wondering what had happened to his book and what he was going to hand in to Adan tomorrow.

**Earlier that day.**

Gwaedhiel was carrying laundry from the wash room to the rooms of Lord Elrond's sons. As see turned the corner something crunched underneath her foot. She looked down and saw a crumpled up book. She put the washing basket down and picked up the book. She opened the first page and saw no name of who it belonged to, so it must have come directly from the library. She shrugged and put the book on top of her washing pile. She would make a small detour before heading to the twins rooms.

Gwaedhiel entered the library quietly and searched for the shelf the book belonged on. Erestor liked the library to be organised in alphabetical order and she soon found an empty spot for the book. She placed it on the shelf and smile at the good deed she thought she had done.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dsiclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Please don't sue me I'm poor.
> 
> Sorry for the very long wait. Writers block is a B****.

Lindir awoke as groggy as usual. He got dressed and grabbed his things. He hadn't been able to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about his missing book. _'Maybe a bird took it for its nest?'_ he thought _'Or maybe the wind blew it into a river and ruined it?'_ this and many other ridiculous thoughts kept him awake longer.

Lindir said good bye to his carers ' _the guard dogs'_  he reminded himself and entered the classroom. He knew the others were staring at him as he took his seat, but he ignored them. He stared out of the window until the teacher made him pay attention to the lesson.

_A few hours later..._

"Now class for your final lesson today I want you all to write me a poem" the teacher said "It can be about anything you want and written in any style. There is no word limit, so you may make it as long as you like. You may begin"

 _'A poem? How bothersome'_ Lindir thought. He stared at the paper and toyed with the quill between his fingers. As he thought about what to write he felt a sense of determination to actually write something.

'It was there every day. The sun. I saw it every day. It shone when it the skies were clear. It dimmed when the skies were cloudy. But it was there. Day after day it shone. I wished I could reach out and touch it. I wished I could take and keep it for myself. But it didn't belong to me. It belonged to everyone. And I'm not selfish. I am a sloth. I am idol. I am listless. And because of that I let myself become lost to the daydreams of holding that sun. I'll hold it someday I thought. I'll keep it with me forever. But not today and not tomorrow. I see it every day. It's always there. So why bother trying to take it today? It'll be there tomorrow. The sun was gone. I fret. The sun wasn't there. I panic. Where? Where is it? The skies are so dark without it. And then I see it. Smiling, Shining brightly for someone else. While I stood in the darkness knowing I had missed my chance with her. My sun that brightened my world. Was gone forever.

Lindir inhaled deeply and put down his quill. He was...happy with his work. Which was unusual for him to think at some place his didn't want to be. He went back to staring out the window and wished he was outside sleeping on the grass. Closing his eyes he could picture it now. The smell of the grass the light breeze. How perfect.

"This is wonderful Lindir"

Lindir snapped out of his day dream and was surprised to see the teacher standing in front of smiling and holding his poem. Lindir gaped "W-What?" he stuttered.

"This is perfect and I'm giving you a perfect grade for it" the teacher praised "You've got a talent for this and I can't wait to read the story you wrote"

Lindir felt horrified. He wasn't paying attention. He'd let his guard down and never noticed the teacher approaching. If this was a battle he'd would have been seriously wounded or killed. Which he would have preferred over this. How mortifying!

"I'm kind of curious about you wrote" one student said.

"And me. Can we hear it?" another asked.

Slowly in unison others agreed.

"Well how about it Lindir, may the class hear what you wrote?" the teacher asked.

Lindir could hear the blood pulsing in his ears. His face must have looked like a tomato. His fight or flight instincts took over his body in a panic.

"LIKE HELL I'D LET YOU!" he shouted and snatched his poem back. He ripped it up, jumped out of the window and fled.

Meanwhile in one of the kitchens two maids were busy preparing bread and wine for a starter course.

"Could you put this bread in the basket over there please?" one maid asked.

"Of course" the other replied. She grabbed the basket behind her and turned back to the table "Hunh? Weren't we supposed serve three bottles of wine?" she asked confused.

"Yes, why?" the other replied.

"Well there was three on the table, but now there's only one"

The other maid turned around to see for herself "That's strange. Where could they have they gone?" she questioned.

Lord Elrond was working in his office when Adan suddenly came into his office.

"My Lord Elrond forgive my sudden intrusion, but it's an emergency" Adan said slightly out of breath.

"What is it Adan?"

Adan explained the situation in full detail and awaited for his Lords decision.

"Go back to your class Adan, I will take care of the rest" Lord Elrond said calmly.

"Yes my Lord" Adan said and bowed before leaving.

The elder elf rubbed his temple and sighed. He called for Herion and Veryan and the three of them began to search.

Lindir gulped down another mouthful of wine and hiccupped. He was drunk. He knew he was. But whatever "Every things...stupid" he said with slightly slurred speech. He polished off the bottle of wine let it drop off the roof he was sitting on. He opened up the second bottle and took a sip "Berries"

Lord Elrond, Veryan and Herion were led by a house maid to Lindir's location after an empty wine bottle had landed near her.

Lord Elrond could see Lindir sitting on the roof and turned to the young maid "Thank you my dear. You may leave now" the young maid nodded and left.

Lord Elrond cleared his throat and called out to Lindir "Lindir, come down from that roof"

Lindir looked over the edge of the roof and saw three blurred yet familiar figures looking at him "Well look who it is. The Lord and his mutts" he said slurred.

"We are not dogs!" Herion yelled insulted.

"Oh what's the matter does the doggy want a treat?  You better get down on all fours and start barking" Lindir laughed.

"That's it!" Herion yelled and made a dash towards Lindir, only to be held back by Veryan.

"Don't give in to his taunts it's what he wants" Veryan said holding Herion back.

"Calm down Herion" Lord Elrond said.

Herion pouted and huffed, but obeyed.

"Good puppy" Lindir giggled.

"That is enough Lindir. I can see that you are in no state to talk properly after consuming so much wine. It would be best to get you back to you room" Lord Elrond said.

"My room? My room? Room? Class room?" Lindir said in daze as if trying to remember something "Ah! Class room! That stupid teacher!" he yelled "Lord Elrond listen. That teacher said my work was good"

"I know he did and then you ran off. Why?" The elder elf asked.

"Because, erm, because...My work was sad not good" Lindir replied.

"I'm afraid I don't understand Lindir" Lord Elrond said confused.

"My poem was about a man who's in love with a woman and he thinks she's perfect, but he too lazy to say anything to her and she gets stolen from him by someone else and he's left alone in the dark" Lindir explained despite his drunken state. He took another gulp of wine and slumped down "How is that good?"

Lord Elrond still wasn't sure what Lindir was talking about and decided to end this conversation "Lindir you should really come down"

"Alright, alright I'm coming" Lindir said. As he shifted the bottle slipped out of his hand and fell to the floor "Oh, oh dear" he said and trying to reach for it, but only managed to slip off the roof.

Veryan was quick to react and caught Lindir before he hit the ground.

"Thank you Veryan" Lord Elrond said as he sighed in relief.

Veryan put Lindir on his feet despite him been unsteady and held onto his arm.

"Now then I think it's best-"

"Veryan's good at catching things" Lindir said interrupting Lord Elrond and hugged Veryan around his waist.

A little bit stunned by this Lord Elrond tried to continue "Yes well perhaps now be a good time to-"

"Do you see him catch me? He caught me!" Lindir slurred.

"Yes I saw" Lord Elrond said "Veryan. Herion let's escort Lindir back to his room"

Veryan walked awkwardly with Lindir clinging to his waist. Veryan resisted tutting at Lindir's shameful and pitiful drunken state. A child should not be in such shambles. He spared a glance at Herion and noticed a dangerous glint in his eyes. They were going to have to talk later.

The three older elves put a dishevelled and unconscious Lindir back to bed.

"I trust you two will be watching over Lindir?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Of course My Lord" Veryan and Herion replied in unison.

"Very good. I will leave you two too your work" and with that Lord Elrond left.

Veryan and Herion took up their normal posts outside of Lindir's room and stood guard.

"Herion?" Veryan asked in a low nervous tone.

"Not now" Herion hissed through his teeth.

Veryan knew not to press and would wait until later to talk.

Lord Elrond had called one of his servants to fetch Adan after his class had finished. He needed to more information about the incident.

"I have told you everything my Lord and I am still not sure about what had set him off" Adan explained.

"It must have been something. He wouldn't do this for no reason, I'm sure" Lord Elrond said confused "In his drunken state his did mention something about you praising his poem for being good, but he thinks his poem was sad"

"Oh and it was sad" Adan sighed "But that's what made it so good"

"Do you remember the poem? Can you recite it for me?" Lord Elrond asked.

"Oh, of course My Lord" Adan replied and recited Lindir's poem word for word.

"That is quite the beautiful yet tragic poem" Lord Elrond.

"It is isn't it. He has such potential" Adan said.

"Indeed he does" Lord Elrond agreed.

"Do you have any idea what I did wrong My Lord?" Adan asked.

"I do not think you did anything wrong. I merely think this has been another misunderstanding" Elrond explained "Do not take it to heart Adan"

"Don't worry I won't" Adan replied. He stood up and bowed before he left.

Lord Elrond sat at his desk and sighed. Any day, another misunderstanding and no clear explanation as to why. When had things in Rivendell become so unruly and confusing? "Since Lindir was brought here" he mumbled to himself. The young elf was a handful to say the least and not in the best mental state that much was clear. What wasn't clear was how to handle the situation.

Lord Elrond thought he could handle the situation with ease. It seemed so simple in his mind. That all he needed to do was to give Lindir a decent education and a home and things would fall into to place, but no nothing had worked out. Lindir fought him at every turn. Lindir took every compliment as an insult. He stole what he wanted. He sees everyone as a threat. His violent actions and crass language were becoming a serious problem. And Lord Elrond just couldn't understand why. It was like everything was backwards. Lord Elrond sighed once more and decided to go and meditate to clear his mind.

Later that night Veryan and Herion had left their posts and went back to their home. The pair were tired and Herion was still irritated at the day's events.

"Herion?" Veryan asked and was met with no reply "You cannot stay mad forever love"

"Watch me" Herion replied with a huff.

"Herion dear please"

"Please what Veryan?" Herion asked as he lay down on the bed "Why must we keep watch of the little brat?" he asked.

"I know dear-"

"So you agree with me? That we are being punished for something or we have been cursed to be insulted and mocked by this child on a daily basis" Herion ranted.  

"Herion sweet heart, I know we have been placed in a very unique and difficult situation, but maybe we can make the best of it" Veryan suggested.

Herion gave Veryan a look of sheer disbelief "Make the best of this? Are you serious? I will not, nor will I ever make the best of this" he said "I don't like being insulted and I don't being made a fool of and I certainly don't like it when it happens to you"

"I know darling, but Lord Elrond trusts us with this task. He has placed a lot of faith in us" Veryan argued calmly.

"Well my faith in my patience is waning" Herion argued back.

Veryan knew he was not going to sway Herion with words, so maybe he could sway him with actions instead. Smirking to himself he began to undress.

"You know Herion you may be right about this, however I find my adoration for you growing" Veryan said as he climbed on to the bed. He slowly crawled over Herion looking his dead in the eyes "You endure such awful things each and every day and all it does is make you tense" he said seductively and he ran a hand over Herion's torso "You just need to unwind a little bit" he said as he slowly sat up, removed his shirt and exposed his bare upper body.

Herion growled lowly "You little minx" he said and he kissed Veryan's stomach. He undid the string that held Veryan's trousers and tugged at waist band "I think we both need to unwind" he smirked.

"Oh yes" Veryan gasped "Make love to me!"

Herion growled like and animal in heat and flipped Veryan down on to the mattress "By the Valar I love you"


End file.
